The Judy Saslow Gallery specializes in an aspect of art that most see as opposing one of its basic tenets - outsider art is art made by people who are not at all influenced by artistic culture and have no aspirations of mimicry. Many have mental illnesses. Much of the materials used are found objects. While most artists walk to the corner store to buy paint, Judy Saslow's artists search through heaps of metal scraps. The artists she selects are diverse. Clyde Angel, an artist exhibited in a recent show, creates intricate metal sculptures. Paul Dunham has produced 5,000 works on two themes: portraits and doors. The art is bright, unusual and different from anything you've seen. Because the artists themselves seem to have never seen art. The rawness of it is welcoming. It's hard to put your finger on, but you feel there's a wall that's been toppled when looking at outsider art, revealing an honest intimacy lacking in pretension or convention.

For more information, see their website.

Centerstage Reviewer: Kate Schwartz