There's not a lot of room to talk about Outsider Art in Antique Trader, but I happen to be very passionate about the form.

I love the anti-academic feel of Outsider Art, and the untrained lines that reveal an artist's obsessions.

In Outsider Art there are so many talented living artists I wouldn't know where to start, not to mention the dead ones. There is one name, however, that reigns supreme above them all, and that is of Henry Darger.



This exhibition at the Unioversity of Chicago's Smart Museum just came to my attention. It's a great exhibition of Darger's Vivian Girls work - bizarre, twisted and entirely compelling stuff - that, sadly, closes this weekend!

If you're in Chicago, and can get there and check it out, or have already seen it, drop me a line and let me know how it is or was. There's no way I can get four hours to Chi-town this weekend, plus I think my daughter would be a bit weirded out by Darger's take...