Although the status of Outsider Art has grown in the art world-with its own canon of classic works and artists, dealers, museum exhibitions, an annual fair, and even its own auction category at a major international house-most art lovers still can't say precisely what it is and don't know how to assess its worth. How is it different from "self-taught" or folk art? What does it have to do with conditions such as autism and schizophrenia? As outsider works increasingly command upwards of six figures, there is a pressing need for a book to help people navigate both the aesthetics and business of Outsider Art.

This is the only book that lays out the ground rules for understanding, appreciating, and evaluating outsider artworks. It provides an overview of the field; showcases the most exciting works, many never before published, by such important artists as Henry Darger, William Hawkins, and Adolf Wölfi; offers guidelines for aesthetic and collecting judgments; and gives compelling accounts of some of the field's spectacular successes. How to Look at Outsider Art attests to these works' growing importance to contemporary art. AUTHOR BIO: Lyle Rexer is the author of several books on art and photography, including a number that focus on Outsider Art and artists. He has published numerous catalogue essays on contemporary artists and contributed articles to publications such as The New York Times, Art in America, Art on Paper, and Aperture. He lives in Brooklyn.