Artists on the outside (but not looking in)

When I first saw the small tablet-size sculptures on the table, they reminded me of the paper packets that gardeners stick in the ground to help them remember what they planted.

These pieces seemed to have sprouted from the table at the auction house. They looked to be made of plaster and painted in glowing colors, the glaze on them shimmering in the room’s lights. There were so many of them that they nearly covered on end of a table, as if the artist never sold or gave any away.

I moved in for a closer look and saw that they were faces carved into flat surfaces – kings, pharaohs, religious figures and masks. Some were a little frightening.

They had been signed “Weessocki.” I Googled and found several references to the name, all attached to pieces of similar art up for sale on eBay. No one was buying, though.

Curious, I asked the co-owner about the artist. He knew little about Weessocki, said they had gotten the pieces at the artist’s estate and this was the second time they had put them up auction. I told him about seeing works on eBay. He surmised that the seller had likely bought them from this auction house the first time around.

The eBay seller described the works as outsider or folk art, and they certainly could qualify for that. I’m sure the seller was also using it as a way to sell an artist no one had heard of.

Some outsider artists have certainly made it big. The name correctly describes the art, some examples of which I have seen in exhibitions and among the collections of major museums. It’s art outside the mainstream – the paintings, sculptures and drawings of self-taught artists who have little or no formal training. They are influenced by their surroundings, their beliefs and their spirituality. A lot of the works have a religious theme, with the artists pouring out their hearts on canvas or in wood or other medium.

When I think of outsider or folk art, several African American artists come to mind: Bill Traylor, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Jimmie Lee Sudduth, Mose Tolliver and Purvis Young. They would be considered the veterans, among the first ones to be given the label.

For nearly 20 years, an outsider art fair has been held in New York, recognizing the works of veteran and contemporary folk artists who may have gone unrec0gnized.

I would love to know more about Weessocki, his art and his inspiration.

Note: A reader who had purchased several of Weessocki’s works found a 1996 newspaper article about the artist. The story is on page 9.