The Art of Rudy Rotter

The Art of Rudy Rotter (1913-2001) presents a special world of people and creatures bound within the borders of his many drawings and sculptures. The art is the product of his personal exploration into the interconnectedness of humanity.

The sensations brought forth by the work are inner-directed, the feelings being deeply etched. The value of the art is found both in the artwork’s emotional heft and in its unique aesthetic reach.

The style has been attributed to the Outsider and Self-taught genres.

For 45 years Rotter obsessively created art daily in an unheated studio in a small Wisconsin town, producing enough work to eventually fill three floors of a self-styled museum.

The art is unique and is immediately attributable to this artist. It stands apart from the standard conventions and formal language of the art world. The artist’s work is the product of his rich inner imagination, intense drive to create, and constant inventiveness.

While the museum no longer exists, a fresh effort is underway to raise awareness of this under-recognized artist.

Humanity Smiling On A Happy Sleeping Family
Magic markers on particleboard – 12 x 30 in. – 1999

Larger image

See More @
– ArtworkArchive
– Instagram
– RudyRotterGallery
– Flickr
– Pinterest

Resources

Read : Who was Rudy Rotter
Exhibitions: CV – Exhibition List
Wikipedia : The Artist as a Humanist
Excerpt: A Portrait of the Artist – in his final year
Update: The Age of Covid and the Rudy Rotter Collection

Short Essay
The Expertise of Rudy Rotter – From Early to Late Period | pdf

Early to Late Period

Woman

Articles, Books & Exhibitions

Outsider Art Fair 2019 – Works on Paper | Booth #51
Folk Art Messenger 2018 –A Warehouse Full of Dreams
Miracle of the Spirit 2005 – Stories from Wisconsin
Artist’s Letter 1995 – Memories
Let the Joy Come In – The Last Decade of Rudy’s Art

Instagram

Two Works by Rudy Rotter, self-taught artist — These two works show the extreme divergence of style seen throughout Rotter’s 45 years of art production.

View on Instagram

Videos

KCPT Kansas City, MO (2001)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (2008)

Book

Rudy Rotter’s Spirit-Driven Art

The Odyssey and Evolution of an Artistic Vision

by Anton Rajer

Rudy Rotter's Spirit Driven Art book

PDF format – large file / slow load
Online Slide Deck – fast load / lower quality

“His creativity is driven by a passion to convey a feeling about humanity. In the sanctity of his Buffalo Street studio, it doesn’t matter who or what is outside the door. Inside, his mind and imagination take him to places most ordinary mortals will only begin to know by looking at his work.”

QuickTime Movies of Rudy Rotter
CLICK TO VIEW
(low-quality videos but worth viewing)