Boundary Trouble in American Vanguard Art, 1920-2020

A profound examination of the complex constructs that have kept “outsider” and self-taught artists on the margins of the mainstream

The artists in Boundary Trouble in American Vanguard Art defy binary constructs of insider and outsider. Some are credentialed professionals, others are self-identified amateurs, and yet others are indifferent to categorical classification systems. These shifting identifications and concepts are examined in 16 essays, challenging established narratives of American and modernist art histories.

The book considers the work of Romare Bearden, James Castle, Minnie Evans, Marisol, Betye Saar, Rosie Lee Tompkins, and more. Rooted in intersectional disciplinary studies that draw on race, queer, and feminist scholarship, these groundbreaking perspectives argue for expanding how we engage with works and makers that are routinely marginalised within mainstream visual culture.

These essays make a compelling case for the necessity of a level playing field for all artists, trained and untrained, where difference is both recognised and embraced.