Abstract
The article introduces a semiotic theory approach to explore the notion of aesthetic norm as applied to the field of outsider art. It establishes the connection between the semiotic mechanisms of art production and perception that underpin the potential of art to counteract stigma. All creative activity is a communicative process relying on a dynamic mediation between autonomy and connectedness. The dialogic potential of art may be seized upon to break the stigmatization cycle by preventing a market to be loaded with negative content as well as by improving the artist’s self-esteem. The use of outsider art thus may be instrumental in changing the context in which mental illness is experienced and promoting reintegration.
This chapter is printed with the kind permission of Routledge. Original source: Sukhanova, E. ‘Norm(s) and the Function of Outsider Art.’ In: Sukhanova, E. and Thomashoff, H-O., eds. Body Image And Identity In Contemporary Societies. Psychoanalytic, Social, Cultural and Aesthetic Perspectives. London: Routledge, 2015. 11–17.
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Sukhanova, E. (2019). Semiotic Functions of Outsider Art in Counteracting Stigma. In: Javed, A., Fountoulakis, K. (eds) Advances in Psychiatry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70554-5_3
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