R.I.P Purvis Young

Born February 4, 1943, Liberty City, Miami Purvis Young was a self-taught contemporary artist who is best known for his work while living in Overtown. Purvis brought legitimacy to Miami's art scene. Like many of the great artists in history, Purvis died poor. I truly have animosity toward those who were supposed to be taking care of him and his interests because they capitalized off of a poor man and his art, instead of sharing in the profits earned from his work. These so-called "care takers" put him up in what is comparable to a shack and barely provided the medications he needed for his poor health condition. His story is a sad one and at least with death he will be finally able to rest in peace. Although most of his public works he did in Overtown will never be seen due to redevelopment and sheer ignorance, Purvis lives on through his remaining works and through those people he touched with his art. "And so goes the tragedy of what we call the Art World."

Museum of Everything in London

"The boundary between 'normal' primitive art and the artistry of the insane is blurry," says Bruno Bischofberger, an art dealer based in Zurich with a sizeable collection of folk art. Yet "outsider art" is distinct from folk art, he explains, as it is often associated with the mentally ill. Indeed, many of the biggest discoveries of the genre were found in the archives of psychiatric hospitals.This is perhaps why the term "outsider" irks James Brett, a filmmaker, entrepreneur and the founder of Britain's first museum dedicated to the work of non-traditional artists. The Museum of Everything opened its doors in London's Primrose Hill neighbourhood on October 14th, timed to coincide with London's Frieze Art Fair. But unlike the preening, self-conscious types who frequent the parties and gallery stalls of this contemporary-art extravaganza, Brett's museum is all about art created by people without formal training, who live "outside our modern society". Housed in a former dairy, the collection includes more than 200 paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations by around 95 artists, all of whom simply felt compelled to make something.via MoreIntelligentLife artwork by WILLEM VAN GENK and HENRY DARGER