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When Bella Christ of Mattituck was in her late 20s, she began toying with the idea of creating her own works of art. She would often doodle, draw and even paint, but rarely shared her work with anybody. In fact, Ms. Christ often hid or destroyed her pieces before anyone had a chance to see them.
“I would do my work, and then shove it in the closet or under the bed,” she said in a telephone interview last week. “I would put it away, or make a shopping list on the back of it.”
Ms. Christ, now 46, said she did not begin to embrace her work until she was in her late 30s—around the time she left what had been for many years an abusive relationship.
A longtime victim of domestic violence, Ms. Christ said she has since found strength through her artwork.
“I express my drawings as something from within myself,” she said.
This summer, for the second time, Ms. Christ has been given the opportunity to share her expressions with the East End community at the fourth annual “Outsider Art in the Hamptons” at Galerie BelAge in Westhampton Beach.
A two-part exhibition, the Outsider Art collection showcases visionary, art singular and self-taught artists. The first portion of the show was on display from May 23 through July 15; the works currently exhibited will remain on view through September 8. More than 200 pieces from some 50 artists will have been displayed by the end of the summer.
Many of the artists represented, like Ms. Christ, have found healing through the arts. Others have addressed mental illness or developmental difficulties, while others still are simply self-taught, innovative artists seeking to make their mark.
This year’s Outsider Art show marks a collaboration between Galerie BelAge in Westhampton Beach, Pure Vision Arts, a studio and exhibition space in New York City for artists with autism and other developmental challenges, Fountain Gallery, a New
York City venue for artists with mental illness, and Survivors Art Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with trauma survivors. The show features works in all mediums, including acrylics, oils, sculptures, drawings and collages, among others.
As both a self-taught artist and a trauma survivor who finds strength in art, Ms. Christ said she thinks her work fits well with the Outsider Art show.
She pointed to “Freedom Butterfly,” one of her pieces currently on display, and said the line drawing represents her life today, as a free, strong woman. Another image being shown at the gallery, she said, depicts two women and depicts the people who have helped her throughout the years.
Ms. Christ said she is honored to participate for a second time in the Outsider Art show.
“It’s so amazing what some of these artists are putting out,” she said. “The other artists are just phenomenal—they really are.”
One of those other artists is Rondi Casey of Huntington, who has been constructing papier maché and clay sculptures for the last 15 years. Also self-taught, Ms. Casey is a physical education teacher who discovered her passion for creating pieces of art while working in Israel and Palestine to film a documentary in the late ’90s.
Though the film was never completed or distributed, Ms. Casey has continued to find inspiration in her everyday surroundings, and has made many sculptures since then.
She said in a recent telephone interview that she is most inspired by literature, political happenings and women’s issues—as such, many of her sculptures are of female figures.
She said her work has found a perfect home at the Outsider Art show because she is “completely self-taught,” and her pieces represent a certain “stream-of-consciousness.” They often include found objects, and are frequently inscribed with poems or song lyrics of importance to Ms. Casey.
This is Ms. Casey’s first year as part of Outsider Art of the Hamptons, and she has already sold three pieces at the show.
“This is a tremendous chance for me,” she said.
Galerie BelAge on Moniebogue Lane in Westhampton Beach is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. “Outsider Art in the Hamptons” will continue through September 8. For more information, call 288-5082 or visit www.galeriebelage.com.
on Aug 11, 2009