What I’ve learned: Cara Zimmerman, Head of Outsider Art

My route to Christie’s was a circuitous one. I did my undergraduate degree in art and folklore, and after graduation I thought to myself, ‘What on Earth can I do with that?’ Fortunately, the stars aligned, and I worked at various museums on folk and Outsider Art projects before I came to Christie’s.

In 2014, I was working at a museum when a contemporary art specialist at Christie’s suggested auctions could be an interesting fit for me. He introduced me to John Hays and former Americana department head Andrew Holter. After one lunch and an object test that I didn't even realize was an object test, they said, ‘How would you like to work at an auction house?’ They hired me specifically with the focus of creating a market in the Outsider space. The rest is history.

This year marks a two-part milestone: around 20 years since Christie’s first Outsider Art auction and 10 years since we started the Outsider Art department.

People often ask me, ‘What is Outsider Art?’ I always joke, ‘You know it when you see it.’ But we define it as art by people who aren't formally trained, usually working outside of academic institutions or the mainstream art world. These are people who were creating because they were compelled to for religious, personal, or social reasons. You have artists like Howard Finster, a preacher who used his art to proselytize, and then you have artists like William Edmondson, an African American stone carver in Nashville who created, among other works, tombstones for his community.

To me, Outsider Art occupies a unique and captivating place in the art market. It’s so powerful because these artists create amazing works with resonant and strong messages that also give us clues into the popular culture and social fabric of their time. A great artist whom I have researched extensively is Thornton Dial. He created art about his personal experience as a Black man dealing with Southern race relations using found material from his neighborhood of Bessemer, Alabama. His art isn’t just a commentary on his environment, it is literally made of his environment.

The Robert M. Greenberg sale in 2003 was the first dedicated Outsider Art sale at Christie’s. This ground-breaking auction included artworks from Greenberg’s collection created by more than 50 important artists including Henry Darger, James Castle, and more.

However, it wasn’t until 2014 that Christie’s decided to take things to the next level by founding an Outsider Art department. The fabulous collection of Kristina Barbara Johnson went up for sale in Christie’s January 2014 Americana auction. Much of this collection was traditional folk art, but it included a significant selection of Outsider artworks. The number of new registrants and buyers focused on this group of Outsider works made Christie's want to harness that market.

Fast forward to 2024, and Robert Greenberg has come back with more work for us to offer. It's a wonderful full-circle moment for me, that one of our earliest consignors in this field still looks to us as the forefront of this market. The upcoming Outsider Art auction on 1 March 2024 will feature works from Greenberg’s collection, including a marvelous Madge Gill and works by James Castle.

The Outsider Art market has evolved in incredibly cool ways. We are seeing greater integration of this material into Modern, Contemporary, and American collections. When Outsider Art emerged in the United States, it was frequently aligned with American folk art, and people saw it as a contemporary offshoot of that. Now, I'm working with collectors whose primary areas of focus vary wildly, and who see Outsider art as capable of filling gaps within their diverse collections.

The sale of William Edmondson’s Boxer in 2016 was one of my career highlights. It set a world auction record for Edmondson and any piece of Outsider Art. It was one of those situations where the owner contacted me knowing what he had, but with no concept of how much it could materially change his life. To this day, we keep in touch. I've even sold works by Henry Darger that have helped people finance college!

The teaching aspect of my job is very fulfilling. I get to educate people about the astounding things artists can create outside of the parameters and restrictions of the art world. It's a chance to bring diverse viewpoints that are so often underrepresented in the art world.

My advice to any person coming into this business is to speak with collectors, scholars, and people like me. Get to know the people who have spent so much time thinking about and enjoying these works. It’s important to learn how all the pieces come together, and how the market, scholarship, and museums interact. And don't be afraid to walk into the front doors of Christie’s like I was in college! We love visitors, and our exhibitions are free and open to the public.