folkartwork

Later this month, the NAMELESS Art + Design Show featuring American art and design by unknown makers from 1600-1970 with take place in New York City. Featuring works by anonymous outsider and folk artists, and functional objects including furniture, lighting, and textiles by undiscovered vernacular designers on January 26-28 during NY Antiques Week. (see flyer at bottom of post)

Featuring, but not limited to the following galleries and works of art:

• slide 1: Folk art fence post wall shelf with polychrome, c. 1920s-40s via @criticaleyefinds
• slide 2: Woman in profile, carved wood with polychrome, c. late 19th/early 20th century via @ployaarrtt
• slide 3: Jewelry making disc mold, date unknown via @aarneanton
• slide 4: Hand-engraved WWI mess kit, c. 1914-18 via @tihngs
• slide 5: Adirondack folk art wall box, c. 1940s via @battle_brown
• slide 6: Wooden woman weathervane topper and painted wooden cutout bird, early 20th century, with Inuit carving and stuffed rabbits via @evanmgrant
• slide 7: Joe Louis chenille bedspread c. 1940s @candlerarts
• slide 8: Early American step-driven bicycle, New England, c. second quarter 19th century via @oldasadam
• slide 9: Stool with make do foot rest, c. early 20th century via @smwresmplce

Please note that these works may or may not still be available or at the show — but you are guaranteed to see a tremendous amount of beautiful anonymous work.

Per NAMELESS Art Show:

“Nameless challenges an arts establishment that devalues extraordinary art for lack of a signature.

Driven by homegrown creativity and liberated from the constraints of conventional design, “nameless” self-taught artists of decades and centuries past often worked in obscurity, with many lacking access to formal training and recognition due to their race, gender, disability, or class. Today, their legacies more often than not take the form of singular, unsigned works of art, the best of which thwart categorization and disrupt mainstream narratives.

Nameless aims to invert the market and institutional forces that continue to discount and neglect this remarkable unidentified material while inspiring collectors to engage it with fresh eyes. Celebrating works made for the joy of creative expression as well as those created out of necessity,  Nameless broadens the story of American art through exciting discoveries, opening paths for scholarship, and honoring the genius of countless individuals whose names are forever lost to time.”

Every day you can find a brand new piece of folk, self-taught, outsider or visionary art from one of the leading museums, galleries, and collections from across the world. For even more art, follow @folkartwork on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to the “This Week in Outsider Art” newsletter on Substack for two opportunities a week to see even more art, views of my personal collection, finds of the week and a list of must-see shows from across the country.