But then one has to ask: why has this artist refused the established tradition?
It is only part of the answer to insist that the artist lives far away from the center
of the tradition, or on the edge of society. Doubtless anyone, if he or she wanted,
could get access to the paintings and images of the dominant culture of the day.
The primitive artist doesn't bother. Why? Because he or she knows already that
his or her experiences have no place in the established tradition. What is forcing
or driving primitive artists to create art is precisely
They speak a
different language from that used by the establishment. The will of primitive
artists comes from faith in their own experience and a deep distrust of the
societies in which they live.
