Boundary Trouble in American Vanguard Art, 1920-2020

Boundary Trouble in American Vanguard Art explores the complex constructs that have kept "outsider" and self-taught artists on the margins of the mainstream, challenging established narratives of American and modernist art histories. The book considers the work of Romare Bearden, James Castle, Minnie Evans, Marisol, Betye Saar, and Rosie Lee Tompkins, and argues for the necessity of a level playing field for all artists, trained and untrained, where difference is recognized and embraced.

Format: Hardback
Length: 360 pages
Publication date: 10 January 2023
Publisher: Yale University Press

The artists featured in Boundary Trouble in American Vanguard Art challenge the traditional notions of insider and outsider, defying binary categorizations. Some of these artists have formal training and professional experience, while others identify as self-taught amateurs. Additionally, some of them are indifferent to strict classification systems. Through 16 essays, the book explores these shifting identities and concepts, challenging established narratives in American and modernist art histories. It examines the work of renowned artists such as Romare Bearden, James Castle, Minnie Evans, Marisol, Betye Saar, and Rosie Lee Tompkins, among others. This groundbreaking work is rooted in intersectional disciplinary studies that draw on race, queer, and feminist scholarship. It advocates for a more inclusive and equitable approach to engaging with artists who are often marginalized within mainstream visual culture. The essays in the book make a compelling case for creating a level playing field for all artists, regardless of their training or background, where difference is celebrated and embraced.
Published by the National Gallery of Art, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts/Distributed by Yale University Press

Dimension: 279 x 229 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300267112