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Neuve Invention

   The approach used by Jean Dubuffet while choosing the works of Art Brut, supposed the presence of non-artistic criteria for evaluation of art production. That limited the searches giving a very high starting level and created additional difficulties in analyzing the material chosen by using art criteria. The problem was caused by the strictness of the main points of the theory of anti-cultural art (or Art Brut). While preparing a permanent exposition of the collection it turned out that the problem had to be solved. Dubuffet defined Art Brut as a limit, which could not be reached in the situation of cultural influence, consequently he had to accept that some of the works gathered in his collection could not be included in the Catalogue of the Art Brut collection because of too strict criteria. Being united in the "Collection - Appendix" those "more or less problematic cases" similar to "children's or naive art, folk or exotic traditions", close to Art Brut but lacking all characteristic features..." represented a very interesting layer of art products worth to be attentively investigated. Prime lack of interest towards such works was substituted by the acceptance of their right to exist, and the Collection - Appendix was renamed into the Neuve Invention in 1982. Thus it was fully and totally accepted. That could be foreseen... The XX century demonstrated the achievements of technical progress; it finished in the media epoch, thus it offered such level of information pressure on a personality and its insertion into the cultural environment that only rare examples of artworks could pass the examination in being Art Brut. Jean Dubuffet said: "Art Brut is to be regarded as only one pole. Here we are speaking about art forms that depend less upon culture. I would like to say "depend less" and I am not saying "not depending". As I know, there are no art forms that do not depend upon culture...Consequently, there could not be any thought which would not be based upon fundamental cultural achievements."

   The specialists amassing the collections of Outsider Art inevitably meet a lot of works regarded as a part of Neuve Invention as their authors constantly contacts the society. These people mostly feel "the inadequate character of fine arts system in the relation to the really inventive creativity" (M. Thevoz). Being disappointed in academic art, trying to realize their creative potential by making "wild" and "un-conditioned" works, they totally immerse into spontaneous invention. However, they are strange tothe state of autism, typical for the real outsiders. Choosing between basic self-expression and the existing cultural values they do not reject partial social integration into this system but not the creative one. While turning to their "marginal" art production, one should pay the attention to the results of the creative process and not to the artist's personality. Sometimes, the results are represented by the works able to be compared with Art Brut, but mostly created by the authors who realize that they make art.

   The introduction of the "Novyi Vymysel" category (Russian equivalent to the "Neuve Invention" for the definition of such works allows to examine a wider range of works, intuitively created and rejected by the "official cultures. "Novyi Vymysel" becomes a link between Outsider Art and other art phenomena.

   Speaking about the formation of the collection for the Museum of Outsider Art in Moscow, one should stress, that most works obtained during the last decade can be attributed as "Novyi Vymysel". That is explained by several conditions:

    - A high level of influence of cultural environment at the personality. Today, one meets a lot of difficulties while looking for original works of unknown authors, untouched by the massive pressure of culture.

    - Relatively high level of secondary education (including art education) in Russia in the last 50 years.

    - Art works in the "Novyi Vymysel" category can be easily collected and searched for, as their authors are eager to spread information on themselves and their art. A lot of them welcome contacts with colleagues and representatives of culture institutions. Real Outsider artists do not regard themselves as artist and one can get information on their life and activity only through the third party. While analysing the situation one should not reject a possibility to preseni Outsider Art not only with the accepted examples of Art Brut but also be showing the works defined as "Novyi Vymysel". The practical activity o the Museum confirms the interest of the audience towards pieces of ar that does not totally respect all conditions of Art Brut but which are close to it in being original and inventive. The "Novyi Vymysel" is a marginal phenomenon. Being rejected by the main culture institutions it is trying to be located close to Outsider Art situated "aside".






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