SELF-TAUGHT ARTISTS

Albeit not universally adopted, the term self-taught is perhaps the most acceptable option for artists whom, over time, were variously defined as folk, outsider, or primitive. Although these artists have long been recognized for their individual talents and the aesthetic merits of their work, it is only in the last few decades that their art was included in exhibitions with their more traditionally trained colleagues. Among some of these artists represented in the Brooks collection are William Edmondson, Purvis Young, Edwin Jeffery, Felipe Archuletta, Joe Light, and the Gee’s Bend quilters Allie and Loretta Pettway.