Display of brut force of outsiders’ escapism

Outsider art, or art brut, is defined as being created away from the mainstream by artists who have had no formal training or access to education. They may also have special needs or choose to communicate in non-conventional ways, meaning that audiences to this touring show of 34 outsider artists may well struggle to find a context, and how it relates to their own lives.

This, however, should not stop audiences appreciating the collection of works on offer, by artists including Willem van Genk and Angus McPhee. After having schizophrenia diagnosed in 1946, McPhee was admitted to Craig Dunain psychiatric hospital in Inverness, where he remained until his death. He became mute and expressed himself through oversized objects, such as shoes and clothing woven from grass and wool — a technique that he had learnt on his native South Uist. McPhee’s work is too fragile to be moved and so has been interpreted in replica form here.

Erkki Pekkarinen’s work seems closely linked to McPhee’s. The artist uses materials from his native Finland — in this instance, woven strips of birch bark. There is a remarkable photograph here of Pekkarinen wearing a birch bark suit.

Pinkie Maclure grew up in a fishing village in northeast Scotland and gravitated towards performance and music. She became interested in stained glass after seeing examples in cathedrals and churches. Her work here, Landfill Tantrum, is a response to environmental concerns.

Pradeep Kumar and Dalton Ghetti both work by creating sculpture at a micro level: Kumar uses matchsticks and toothpicks, while Ghetti fashions intricate forms from pencils, where he carves the graphite stalk using a sewing needle and a saw. For many of these artists, their work is a form of meditation or escape, and the exhibition space, held in a former church, complements the pieces well.

Until June 10