Self-Made at the American Folk Art Museum explores a century of artists inventing themselves | amNewYork

"Self-taught artists come to art through instinct, necessity, and an unrelenting inner drive to make something visible, resulting in work that carries a different kind of weight."

"The exhibition unfolds as a kind of collective self-portrait, expansive and contradictory, reflecting America when it is not being overly arranged."

"The category of self-taught artists is revealed as constructed rather than fixed, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of artistic authorship."

Self-taught artists bring a unique intimacy to their work, driven by instinct and necessity rather than institutional training. The exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum showcases a diverse collection of art forms, emphasizing the human immediacy and honesty of these creations. It presents a collective self-portrait of America, resisting narrow definitions of identity. The term 'self-taught' is explored as a complex and constructed category, enhancing the understanding of artistic authorship and shifting the narrative towards a more expansive perspective.

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