Marginalized Artists: Concept and Reality
These art forms constitute manifestations of existence and identity where, in a vast kenosis, the accumulated pains of history are resolved. There is a conceptual effervescence that must be contextualized in relation to the dialectic of these artists' demands.
Marginalized Artists: Concept and Reality
Rachid Bekkaj
Sociologist
"Artists of genius are always misunderstood by their time."
Karl Huysmans
Introduction
The world is undergoing a series of major transformations on the economic, demographic, social, and intellectual levels. The sometimes brutal changes in the social structure are generating unprecedented processes of marginalization. In the field of art, particularly marginalized arts, these changes have primarily concerned the creative process. The slogan "marginalized artists" has recently become the emblem of the arts and post-conflict art worldwide, as well as of nations of the Global South (in decolonized areas), especially those that gained their sovereignty from the 1950s onward. These marginalized arts also constitute a reaction to historical conflicts and upheavals. The challenges they face remain economic, cultural, aesthetic, and ethical-political in nature. These art forms constitute manifestations of existence and identity where, in a vast kenosis, the accumulated pains of history are resolved. There is a conceptual effervescence that must be contextualized in relation to the dialectic of these artists' demands.
Definition of the concept
Etymology: from marginal, from margin, derived from the Latin margo, meaning edge, border, curb, bank, or margin.
In sociology, marginalization is the act, for an individual or group of individuals, of deviating from the norms of society, of excluding themselves from it or being excluded from it, with a rupture, sometimes abrupt, of social ties. The term is of recent use (second half of the 20th century).
Marginalized individuals are often people who do not conform to societal norms. They may be vagrants, social outcasts, or cultural outcasts. These individuals are generally in conflict with societal values or expectations and often live on the fringes of society.
Social marginalization can be a choice made by an individual who wishes to live on the fringes of society, to express their rejection of a particular lifestyle, or to protest against certain societal ills.
What is a marginalized artist?
Marginal creations: The term "marginal creations" refers to artistic practices that are undervalued or overlooked by dominant cultures and institutions. These creations can manifest as a form of artistic struggle and protest against hegemonic power, thus establishing a dynamic interaction between a marginalized group and a majority.
Opposition to universalism: Some artists critique Western universality by promoting a peripheral art that celebrates the diversity and plurality of human experiences.
Marginality or outside the center : In the artistic field, marginality can refer to the position of artists who find themselves outside the core of power, whether political, intellectual, or social.
Marginal art is not art as a form of expression for marginalized people
Art can provide marginalized communities with a means of expressing their feelings, challenges, and achievements. Art can serve to convey their narrative and culture, educate others, and dismantle stereotypes, and provide a platform for addressing the social and political issues that influence their daily lives
Marginalized art is associated with marginalized artists, that is, creators whose work has been undervalued or neglected by dominant institutions, or who are linked to alternative social and intellectual movements. Figures such as Jean-Paul Sartre, who radically challenged social norms, or more contemporary artists like those from colonized countries (particularly Indigenous, Latin American, and African) who reject Western universality, symbolize this marginality.
Specific attributes of marginalized artists
Marginalized artists are creators overlooked because, at some point, their artistic direction didn't align with the mainstream. They believe so strongly in their ideas that they refuse to abandon them. This is because they go, in a way, against the grain. In other words, as true artists, they have consistently resisted compromising some of their artistic convictions and values for a job that demanded compromise.
Examples of marginalized artists
Many artists, through their creations, are frequently referred to as "marginalized." Notable examples include Pablo Picasso, who condemned Francoist brutality through his work Guernica, and Artist Khaled al-Khani, whose works illustrate the atrocities of the repression in Syria, born in Hama, Syria, on February 17, 1975, is a Syrian painter currently residing in Paris.
Khaled Alkhani was born in the old Albarodiah neighborhood of Hama. At the age of seven, he lost his father, an ophthalmologist, who was brutally murdered during the Hama massacre under the presidency of Hafez al-Assad in February 1982.
Three months after the start of the popular uprising, Khaled al-Khani was forced to flee his country. He was wanted for having participated in demonstrations in the suburbs of Damascus against President Bashar al-Assad and for having published a series of articles denouncing the 1982 Hama massacre, long considered a taboo subject in Syrian history.
In Germany, the Nazis targeted and persecuted the artist Otto Dix for his work, which was considered "degenerate"; Hitler's Degenerate Art exhibition in 1937 left a significant mark on the art world for decades. During Pinochet's tyranny in Argentina, composer and singer/songwriter Violeta Parra popularized arpilleras (embroidered fabrics), which became a tool of protest and resistance for women. Gilles Vigneault's work "Gens du pays" ("People of the Country") is a perfect example of songs that celebrate freedom. The Soviet rock band DDT produced compositions such as "Svoboda" to celebrate freedom.
The dissenting Chinese artist and filmmaker Ai Weiwei has been arrested on numerous occasions for his actions against censorship and inequality.
Banksy, the British artist, has created street art that criticizes human exploitation and armed conflict.
Mohammed Kacimi is an artist from Morocco. A human rights activist, he unveiled his work for the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH) in 2002. In September 2003, he addressed a public letter to Sidiki Kaba, president of the International Federation for Human Rights, demanding the release of journalist Tayseer Allouni. I also mention the marginalized musician and composer Said Rabbaj is also known as Said El Maghribi, who launched his artistic career within the academic community during the period of repression. He was renowned for his melodies addressing social injustice before choosing exile for a long period. Within the same Moroccan contex, one can also mention the association Empreinte Verte (Green Footprint), a partner of the initiative for marginalized artists led by the Al-Âchara Forum and the Moroccan Forum of Zajal (popular poetry) located in Mohammedia. This South African artist Freddy Sam uses graffiti art to convey messages about human rights and education.
Who are the most marginalized artists in history?
Our study of outsider art led us to artists considered among the most marginalized by the history of art and outsider art, due to their personalities, their art, and their perceptions of the world and their environment. These include Vincent van Gogh, often seen as the quintessential "cursed" artist because of his poverty and psychological problems, as well as other artists who faced financial obstacles, mental illness, discrimination, or a lack of recognition during their lives.
Among these marginalized figures of history, we can also find the sculptor Camille Claudel, whose art has been preserved. Camille Claudel died on October 19, 1943, after spending more than three decades in a psychiatric institution. She fell into a kind of obscurity for several decades. She remained there for thirty years and died, probably of starvation. Her work progressed, evolving from an exclusively fervent expression of the nude to a more unique and masterful approach to poses, illustrating her personal genius. The figures are increasingly enveloped by drapery, characteristic of Art Nouveau. An exceptional creation such as The Waltz (which has several interpretations) testifies to the scope of her artistic genius.
Another artist renowned for her distinctive “Big-Eyes” style , Margaret D. H. Keane, born Peggy Doris Hawkins, was born on September 15, 1927, in Nashville, Tennessee, and died on June 26, 2022, in Napa, California. She created a vast body of paintings, all featuring figures with exaggerated eyes. Her husband, Walter Keane, signed her works for many years
Lois Mailou Jones, an African American artist, faced racial discrimination and the prejudices of the 1920s and 1930s. However, she managed to establish herself as one of the most celebrated artists of her time while confronting challenges related to gender, ethnicity, and other forms of discrimination.
Despite his current fame, Gauguin endured poverty and illness for many years, and only received recognition later in life.
The Approaches of Marginalized Artists
Studying the works and trajectories of marginalized artists reveals several justifications that legitimize their approaches. For example, we can observe the provocative style in the work of Paul McCarthy, considered controversial and provocative, which falls within the conceptual art movement, initially misinterpreted. Marina Abramović, focused on performance and the study of the body and suffering, has often been perceived as shocking and provocative.
And some encourage us to explore the many facets of our lives. They have placed identity—whether social, ethnic, or sexual—at the heart of their concerns, considering it an element of exclusion. For them, art is a valuable reflection that helps us consider our individual and collective identity. Through portraits, self-portraits, personal narratives, and works addressing universal themes. We discover this in works like "Self-Portrait with Shaved Beard" by Vincent van Gogh or "Narcissus" by Salvador Dalí, which immerse us in the artist's private world and give us a glimpse into his emotions.
Freedom and artistic creation
According to Karl Huysmans, being ill-suited to one's time is the mark of a superior mind, preoccupied with dreaming of more poetic realms, whether spatial or temporal. The margins of society thus become margins of freedom, and therefore fertile ground for artistic creation.
The true freedom of the artist, as is always reiterated in essays, lies in the ability to master ancient materials, to return to the very essence of the founding gesture. This is not new in the sense that it already existed thousands of years ago.
It is only from this perspective that one can understand the meaning of the term marginalized art. The artist then becomes a completely independent gaze, a person possessing a closed inner world who, in their singularity, responds only to their own principles.
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