Outsider art is on display in full force in SoHo with a special exhibition hosted by the Outsider Art Fair and curated by Takashi Murakami. Focusing solely on sculpture, the exhibition brings together works by nearly 60 Outsider artists, a term that generally refers to artists who are self-taught. The exhibition is titled Super-Rough, a play on the term “superflat” that was coined by Murakami and refers to a style characterized by flatness and inspired by Japanese consumer culture, including manga and anime. Refreshingly unfiltered, the works in the show offer an imaginative exploration of materials, colors, and forms.

Installation view with works by Ryuji Nomoto and Yasuhiro Hirata, Yukiko Koide Presents.

Upon entering the expansive exhibition space, I was confronted by a monumental, raised platform rife with sculptures that were anything but flat. While a few larger installations and wall pieces hung along the sides of the room, the vast majority of the nearly 200 sculptures were on this center platform. Abandoning the traditional art fair arrangement in which works from different dealers are separated into distinct sections and booths, the sculptures were all displayed together, allowing for close comparison of each piece. Also a departure from the art fair model, the exhibition is on view for nearly three weeks, running through June 27th and allowing for more time to visit.

Installation view with detailed view of works by Ryuji Nomoto and Yasuhiro Hirata, Yukiko Koide Presents.

In line with the title Super-Rough, there were many artists who explored the physical boundaries of their materials. Displayed next to each other, artists Ryuji Nomoto and Yasuhiro Hirata, both from Japanese gallery Yukiko Koide Presents, are two memorable examples. In Nomoto’s untitled sculptures, the artist created colorful mounds that at first appeared to be wild bundles of string, but were actually made of colored glue. Piled into amorphous shapes, the works looked like they were slowly moving, as if pushing off of their wooden bases. Installed next to these was a cityscape of colorful cylinders by Hirata. All titled Corn on the Cob (2005-2020), Hirata’s sculptures, which looked to me like perfectly crafted ceramic vases, were a range of sizes and covered in small dots. Upon closer inspection, I was surprised to see they were actually made of paper tubes painted with acrylic. Even more surprising were the dots across the surface, which were not dots at all, but rather steel nails that the artist hammered into the tube, seen more clearly when viewed from the open sides.

Installation view with Paul Amar, Galerie Pol Lemétais and Gil Batle, Ricco/Maresca Gallery.

Further down the platform was an assortment of glittery, colorful figures by Paul Amar. Playful and highly detailed, the figures resembled small altars and were made entirely of seashells. Next to Amar’s sculptures were pieces by Gil Batle that defied materials even further. Though they appeared to be stone, they were actually carefully carved ostrich eggshells with details so minute that a magnifying glass was provided for a closer look. Pairing the two artists together, I was struck by how they masterfully manipulated the unexpected material in such different ways.

Overall, the sculptures in Super-Rough were interactive, imaginative and playful. Having just viewed an exhibition of highly academic, critically acclaimed drawings at a nearby gallery, I was amazed at what artistic production free from stylistic and academic pretense could look like. It was refreshing reminder of how genuinely surprising art can really be.

Outsider Art Fair “Super-Rough” Group Show

Guest curator: Takashi Murakami

150 Wooster Street, New York

June 9-27, 2021

All photos by Annabel Keenan.