Week 23 - learning about Outsider Art

I feel very lucky and privileged.  I have been to, what I'm pretty sure is one of London's undiscovered little gems: The House of Dreams.  It is only open about six days a year so, literally, only a handful of people get to see it.

I read about it a few months ago on one of my many online magazines about cool things to do in London and it really caught my eye. In a nutshell, The House of Dreams is an art museum within the home of artist Stephen Wright.  He lives in East Dulwich and he has essentially turned the whole of the ground floor and the front garden into a phenomenal life project, cramming masses of discarded objects, people's old bric-a-brac and personal knick-knacks into every nook, cranny and crevice.  

So on Saturday afternoon I found myself walking down a very residential, ordinary street with no hint of the strange or uncommon.  All I could see was a bit of a bright blue surface peering out surreptitiously from over the front wall.  But when I opened the gate, my eyes widened and the corners of my mouth turned upwards.  It was wonderful: a cornucopia of colour and stuff.  It was mostly old dolls, empty bleach bottles and mosaics made up of tiles, buttons and odds and sods - a load of old crap really but somehow or other, it was just fantastic.

I knocked on the door and was met by a lovely man called Michael. "I'm Stephen's partner" he said. He began by giving me a little bit of a brief introduction, told me to relax, look around and he'd answer any questions I had.  He was so warm and open and I immediately got a sense of what life was like in this household.  I was so at ease and comfortable and clearly this was indicative of Michael and Stephen's characters and their lifestyle.  (I hadn't met Stephen at this point but I knew he would be delightful).

So a little of what Michael told me and what I picked up from a short film they play for everyone that comes to the house - the project began back in 1998 after Stephen, a classically trained textile designer became disillusioned with the transience of the design world and wanted to embark on something that was new, exciting and permanent.  He saw a series of programs about Outsider Art and he knew that he had found his calling. At this point I was still completely unaware of what Outsider Art was but I was going to walk around and try and work it out.  

My first instinct upon seeing this incredible project was just how joyful it was.  Literally, everywhere you look there is humour and quirkiness and downright madness but somehow or other, in the crazy, haphazardness of it, I could see reason in it all.  To me, there was clearly some dark themes and a bit of anguish when you looked closely, but the overall feeling I had, was one of life and regeneration.

I chatted to Michael a little bit more and found out that Stephen originally started this project with his partner at the time, Donald.  But tragically, quite early on, Donald died and then within 18 months, both of Stephen's parents died.  I can't even imagine the turmoil and pain that that would evoke, to basically loose your whole family all in one go.  It must be debilitating - and so, Stephen stopped working on the project for over a year.  But, somehow or other he realised he wanted to complete the project for himself and after hearing that, I began to see that this sprawling, creative adventure is undoubtedly something that has created an outlet for dealing with grief; its a therapy.  

Its almost like Stephen has created some sort of sanctuary for himself, somewhere to belong and be part of with a family of strange faces, comprised of mosaic tiles, disabled dolls, old photographs, toys and sculptures.  These together with several beautiful memory boards, some of his most important and cathartic diary entries painstakingly inscribed on the walls in black and white, create a very enduring place to be.  As Stephen says on the film he has "created a temple from rubbish".  Its like the house is a diary of his life.

At this point as I wondered into the room and walked across the floor that started the whole project, I met Stephen - just as affable as I had suspected.  He gave me a hug and began to tell me the story in his own words and this was when I asked him, what actually is Outsider Art?  Well, it doesn't fit is what he said and thats the point - it can't quite be explained in definitive terms.  Its not taught, its just raw creation.  Its for people that just want to create without rules or boundaries.  Traditionally, its a form of art that is done by people who haven't had classical art training - although this isn't Stephen.  He is quick to point out that he isn't an Outsider Artist per se, he just embodies the spirit of it.  For him, its all about instinct and heart and non-conformity.  

Chatting to him even more I said to him that I was surprised that there haven't been more articles and documentaries made about him, especially since the house has now been bestowed to the National Trust.  Why do more people not know about him?  What transpires is very interesting - Outsider Art is not really considered an art form in this country to the classically trained gallery owners, art critics and the well-to-do art buyers.  Stephen does very well in Europe, particularly in France, Spain and Hungary, where Outside Art is much more popular and there are plenty of exhibitions and shows.

He seems to have made his peace with it.  I think, in actual fact he doesn't have an enormous love for the vastness that is London, he told me that he thinks he was born in Mexico in a former life and you can certainly see that in his displays of folk art, religious items and traditional dolls. This house is clearly where Stephen finds his respite and solitude amongst meaning.

Regardless of whether you think Outsider Art has a place in the "traditional" art world, there is no denying that The House of Dreams is an incredible project, full of creativity, inspiration, positivity and a huge amount of heart.  I would say that these things mean a hell of a lot more than anything else and if this experiment evokes joy and warmth and sanctuary to just one person then its real art to me.