What does Naive Art Mean?
The term Art Naif (from the French word "naive") refers to the popular art which is not a result of academic or artistic studies, and is not inspired by the currents or artistic movements cataloged in the various cultures.
For "purists", naive art also excludes works performed by professional artists who imitate the style of "amateurs" (whose works lack perspective or aesthetic qualities that can be found in the works of "graduate" artists).
Here, David Berkowitz Chicago, a naïve art painter, explains more about this type of art.
Characters of the Art-Naif
According to Berkowitz, naïve art expresses, in particular, the cultural identity of the people, highlighting shared community values and aesthetics.
To achieve this, it uses a wide range of surfaces, in addition to the classic white canvas or the wooden table, such as colored fabrics, raw wood, paper, clay, metal and more.
Traditional naive artists, such as David Berkowitz Chicago, are generally self-taught and lack of formal artistic education.
The various names of naïve art
In addition to the most used term "naïve art", other term that seem more suitable to the culture from which it originates, is folk art.
Berkowitz, who has presented his naive artworks, specifies that, folk art is characterized not only by geographical, but also by time differences, which make it difficult to describe with a unitary model.
From these differences, folk art has taken on various definitions such as Primitive Art, Art Brut, Pop Art, Outsider Art, Traditional Art, Tribal Art, Vagabond Art, Self-taught Art, Folk Art and even Art of the Working Class.
American Folk Art
David Berkowitz Chicago indicates that the American folk art has been influenced by the European and Eastern emigrants.
The Quilting technique handed down in the families of the west for the creation and decoration of overlapping and quilted fabrics: Patchwork and Quilt, has survived until today.
Unfortunately, those works of art, which were once made by hand, with the use of machines, have become, semi-industrial products.
As the skilled naive artist, David Berkowitz Chicago, further explains, since 1960, a new form of American popular art appears with the creation of "chillum". These are bamboo pipes, embellished with decorations imprinted in fire or made in terracotta. These pipes were used for smoking and were sold on stalls at street corners in cities.
June 9th, 2020