The Invention of Painting in America Book

This book is a rare mixture of solid scholarship, cultural theory, ethnography, and autobiography, with an equally unusual compassion for the outsider artists he interviewed and for himself.

I have had a longtime interest in "Outsider Art" and also emerged personally from Christian fundamentalism, so I appreciate Bottoms' solid understanding of the theological and social underpinnings of these artists. Additionally, Bottoms' journey to understanding his own family's experience with his schizophrenic brother as a lens for questioning assumptions about outsider art was fascinating and thoughtful (I too have a schizophrenic step-sibling).

While those interested in cultural theory will appreciate the intellectual constructs he provides, this book is also very readable for any college-educated person interested in outsider art.