Category:
Outsider Art

Madge Gill

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[Click to enlarge]

Thanks to WU-vie Mark De Novellis, we learn of a new UK exhibition devoted to the work of outsider artist Madge Gill. If you image-google her name, you get tons of examples, such as you see above.

A nice visit if you're in the UK over the next several months.

Exhibition home page.

From the Wikipedia entry:

After recovering from her illness, she took a sudden and passionate interest in drawing, creating thousands of mediumistic works over the following 40 years, most done with ink in black and white. The works came in all sizes, from postcard-sized to huge sheets of fabric, some over 30 feet (9.1 m) long. She claimed to be guided by a spirit she called "Myrninerest" (my inner rest) and often signed her works in this name.




Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 30, 2013 - Comments (3)
Category: Museums, New Age, Outsider Art, Reader Recommendation, Europe, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century

When Thief Meets Thief

One of the weirdest writers in history was Harry Stephen Keeler.

His sentences were as eccentric as his plots. Viz:

"I know how to get to the inside of a chilled-steel receptacle with no more noise than a cockroach, drunk after emerging from an uncorked gin-bottle in a garbage can, would make as he sneaked back to Mrs. C., waiting up to biff him on the beezer for leaving her to mind the youngsters while he went skyhooting. "

That gem comes from When Thief Meets Thief.

You may read the first chapter here.

Or listen to it below.

Or buy the book here.

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For subsequent chapters, visit here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 28, 2013 - Comments (18)
Category: Literature, Stupid Criminals, Outsider Art, 1930s

Drawings of the Insane

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To accompany yesterday's poems by the mentally ill, here you will find many drawings by Russian psychiatric patients.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 16, 2013 - Comments (3)
Category: Outsider Art, Russia, Brain Damage

Gary Usher:  Driven Insane



The YouTube user who goes by the handle "Mr. Teenagedreams" has nearly 2000 rare TEEN AND WHITE DOO-WOP videos up at his channel. Some of them are delightfully weird and demented, but all are utterly captivating glimpses of a strange and remote, now vanished era.

More on Gary Usher here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 31, 2013 - Comments (2)
Category: Eccentrics, Music, Outsider Art, Teenagers, 1950s, 1960s

The Return of Weird Postcards

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[Click on any of them to enlarge.]

I bought these just yesterday at Raven Used Books in Northampton, MA. Hundreds more awaiting your visitation.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 07, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: Humor, Outsider Art, Twentieth Century, Postal Services

Flora Marian Spore

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Original story here.

The woman depicted above went from female dentist to occult artist. Not the most common career path. She turned out many paintings "inspired" by ghosts.

Unfortunately, despite a fairly substantial career, none of her paintings seem to have survived or been recorded, except for the one depicted below.

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Photo from the blog of Jim Linderman.

Wikipedia entry.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 16, 2012 - Comments (10)
Category: Art, Outsider Art, New Age, Paranormal, Unsolved Mysteries, 1920s

Ancient Minoan Culture Illustrated with Barbies

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More here. (Scroll down.)

This incredible find courtesy of hardcore WU-vie Zoltan Ness.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 26, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: History, Toys, Outsider Art, Foreign Customs, Reader Recommendation

The Brick Testament

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The Bible as a series of Lego dioramas.

Home page.

Further info.

Thanks to pal Denny Lien.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 17, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Eccentrics, Education, Religion, Toys, Outsider Art

The Sins of the Fleshapoids



Four more segments on YouTube for your "enjoyment."

Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 29, 2011 - Comments (1)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Movies, Avant Garde, Outsider Art, Pop Art, Science Fiction, 1960s

Page 5 of 7 pages ‹ First  < 3 4 5 6 7 > 




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Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

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