Help our cause by sharing this page with others!
Homeless Art and Artwork
When studying any unknown culture, civilization or individual for the first time, you will undoubtedly want to study its forms of art in order to gain greater insight into its values, emotions and common experiences. The homeless themselves literally do form a culture, even if seldom recognized as such. So if you want to understand the inner workings of the minds of the homeless, then studying their art and artwork is a perfect place to begin. Below you will find the artwork of both homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Our hope is that it will change your perception of who the homeless are - that they are often extemely talented individuals with a lot to offer society, and that they deserve our help as much as anyone.
Featured Artist
Michael F. Brown
Published: June 19, 2009
“Michael F. Brown was born in St. Louis, Missouri on November 13, 1971 to a family of ten brothers and sisters. From birth, he was surrounded by art, as all of his siblings were talented artists. In fact, he can’t remember a day when he was not surrounded by art. Out of his eleven brothers and sisters, Michael was the only one to pursue art as a career. He graduated from South County Tech in Commercial Arts at the top of his class in 1991.”View Gallery ...
Dianne
Published: July 16, 2009
Dianne, formerly homeless for three years after her lawyer husband forged the divorce decree, has recently taken up painting. Her style is abstract, having been influenced by a friendship with world renowned artist Fritz Scholder, several years after living on the streets of Santa Barbara. You can read more about Dianne’s story here.View Gallery ...
Published: June 13, 2009
“Ronzig, a former homeless addict from Toronto, is a digital photo artist and social activist. In his work, he explores people
and places from a unique perspective, emphasizing the lifestyle of those forgotten members of our society whose suffering has been
neglected for too long and compares their circumstances with the accepted norm. His art, photography and commentary provide an
exceptional opportunity to understand social trends in Toronto at the outset of the 21st century.”
View Gallery ...
Published: June 12, 2009
“I’m just a Sunday painter, not a “real” painter. My inspiration comes from graffiti, cave paintings and children’s art. A big inspiration for me has been Hans Prinzhorn’s landmark study, “The Art of the Insane.” Painting for me is about paint on a surface, hence my concern with texture. I like to add plaster, sand and other stuff to acrylics to get a sort of fresco effect. Size is a factor, the bigger the better. I did some paintings on sheets of drywall but didn’t have any place to store them, so when the rain came along they simply melted. Which was probably just as well!”View Gallery ...
Adam Alli
Published: June 8, 2009
“Mr. Alli uses sticks, rope and string wrapped in paper to create woven frames. Sand, pencil shavings and sawdust are mixed with glue to form a compound which is then applied to the paintings, creating earthy, tactile landscapes. Paraffin is applied for a reflective finish. When conventional paints are unavailable, shoe polish is substituted, muted and hot colors juxtaposed.”View Gallery ...