American assemblage artist Joseph Cornell (1903–1972) has been described as one of modern art’s best-kept secrets. In this podcast, join RA curator Sarah Lea to explore the life and work of this enigmatic artist, including a biographical overview, a discussion of Cornell’s working processes and a detailed look at the key collages, box constructions and films presented in the exhibition. The curator considers in particular Cornell’s interest in fields as diverse as natural history to ballet, which fed his long distance love affair with Europe, a place he visited only in his imagination.

Joseph Cornell is one of the most famous yet mystifying characters in modern American art. Cornell scholar Lynda Roscoe Hartigan explores what recent studies in creativity and cognition have contributed to understanding his distinctive constructions, collages and films.

Joseph Cornell has often been referred to as an ‘outsider’ but he was accepted into the art market as a partial Surrealist at a time when the art of the self-taught had no name or definition. If he had been defined as an outsider, would he have had difficulty being accepted into the canon of 20th century art history? How would this definition change our approach to the display, interpretation and market for his work?

This panel discussion considers what the new spaces are for outsider art and what the responsibilities are for those involved in the interpretation, collection, curation and sale of these works within the context of today’s art world.

If you’ve missed an event at the RA, you can listen to our podcasts and subscribe to our Audioboom channel.