Marginalized Art

The Features

Think you can tell a masterpiece from a yard sale portrait? A genius artist from a developmentally disabled one? The simply provocative from the outright censored? Test your feel for marginalized art. Take the quiz >>

  • Detail from a painting entitled “Green Teahouse” by Alexander Volkov depicts a peaceful scene of four Muslim men enjoying tea together, as Vladimir Lenin stares from a portrait on the wall behind them.
    Gallery: The Savitsky Collection

    Russian and Uzbek artists who created avant-garde and expressionist work in the 1930s-1980s were forced either to change their style to Soviet Realism or go underground. Igor Savitsky saved the work of the rebellious artists to save some of the greatest works of 20th century art in the world.

    View their work >>

  • Map of the structures in Marwencol, with a popped out image of soldier dolls and girl dolls hanging out at the Marlo Inn
    Interactive Map: A Virtual Tour of Marwencol

    Mark Hogancamp’s world exists largely inside his own mind, but he’s offered us a glimpse into his 1/6th scale Belgian town with a Google-style map where you can zoom in on the buildings and discover some of the dramas that have occurred there.

    Tour Marwencol >>

  • Mikey Walsh stands in front of a colorful canvas in a black sweatshirt, his arms folded.
    Mikey Welsh Trades Rock 'n' Roll Stardom for Outsider Art

    Mikey Welsh, former bassist for the alt-rock group Weezer, suffered a nervous breakdown and gave up the rock 'n' roll lifestyle to take up painting. He is an up-and-coming outsider artist who is open about the role bipolar disorder plays in his life and art.

    Read more >>

  • A stylized, blue title card reads The Worst Possible Illusion: The Curiosity Cabinet of Vik Muniz. A silhouette of an antique cabinet is faintly visible at the center of the image.
    The Curiosity Cabinet of Vik Muniz

    Brazilian artist Vik Muniz creates portraits of people using found materials from the places where they live and work. His Sugar Children series portrays the deprived children of Caribbean plantation workers using the sugar their parents harvest. We meet Muniz as he embarks on his next project, inspired by the trash pickers at the largest landfill on earth.

    Open the Cabinet >>

  • Graphic compilation of a meadow with various images of toys laid over it
    Create Your Own Backyard Paradise

    Choose one of our virtual backyards. Then scavenge through some "junk drawers" to find "objects of delight" that you can use to create your own visionary world. Come on—it's fun!

    Make your own paradise and send it to your friends >>

  • Three origami pieces and an origami pattern
    Match the Origami Folds Game

    Can you spot the patterns within the patterns? Every finished origami object begins as a line or series of lines on a single plane. With each fold, the final shape begins to emerge. Try your eye at matching the fold pattern with the final product.

    Start matching >>

  • A rusted out car on a river bank
    Artists Month Contest

    Check out a slideshow of the amazing finalists in our Are You a Visionary? Viewer Artist Contest.

    Launch the slideshow >>

    Who won? >>

    Sophia Nahli Allison is our Viewer Artist contest winner!
    Meet Sophia >>

  • Eric Joisel
    Between the Folds: Eric Joisel

    Considered one of the world's most gifted paperfolders and featured in Between the Folds, Eric Joisel created a spectacular body of work. He passed away in France October 10, 2010 at age 53.

    Explore Eric’s work >>