Self-taught, overlooked, working outside the mainstream? Put your name in the Studio BRUT artist directory and be part of the movement: shows, skill-shares, residencies and a community of outsider artists in Swindon. It is free and takes two minutes.
Who counts as an outsider artist?
Outsider means your relationship to the art world, not your qualifications. Self-taught in your medium. Trained in one thing but making something else entirely, the illustrator who paints, the signwriter who sculpts. Working without galleries, representation or permission. Back at it after decades away. Making work the mainstream has no shelf for. If you have ever been told your art does not count, it counts here. And if you have to ask whether you belong, you probably do.
Getting the most out of your BRUT List listing (read more)
- Write the bio yourself, in your own words. 300 characters isn’t much, so skip the CV-speak. Say what you make and why you make it. The directory rewards honesty, not polish.
- Answer “why outsider artist?” properly. This is the line people connect with. Don’t just tick the box: one true sentence about your own path beats a generic statement.
- Give people at least one way to reach you and see your work. A directory listing with no links is a dead end. Add your main social account (Instagram, TikTok, whatever you actually post on), your website if you have one, and a public email if you’re happy to be contacted directly. More than one option means more people find their way in.
- Use a full URL, not just a handle.
https://www.instagram.com/yourname, not@yourname: the links only work as live web addresses. - Lead with your best or most recent image if uploading art.
- Photograph work in good, even light. Daylight near a window beats a dark room or flash. Avoid glare on varnished or glossy pieces.
- Shoot straight on, not at an angle. Keep the piece square in the frame so it isn’t warped or skewed: a phone on a tripod or propped against something steady helps.
- Crop out clutter. Just the work, minimal background, no visible studio mess, feet, or furniture edges unless that’s part of the piece.
- Use the highest resolution your phone allows. Small, blurry, or heavily compressed images undersell the work: you can always downsize, you can’t upsize.
- Stuck on the upload? Email hello@studiobrut.art and the team will sort it, no need to skip the listing over a tech hiccup.
Trouble with the photo upload, or prefer to skip the form altogether? Email hello@studiobrut.art and we will sort it for you.
While you are here: our honest guides on how to sell your art when you are self-taught and whether you need art school at all.