Art Against the Odds: From Slave Quilts to Prison Paintings

A fascinating exploration of the healing power of art.

Children and adults alike find comfort in making things, but never has the act of creating been so poignant as when it is done during times of duress, such as in concentration camps and prisons, during extreme drought and poverty, or while battling mental illness.

In this fascinating collection, Susan Goldman Rubin has captured the essence of creating as a way to momentarily escape horrible circumstances. From the drawings of a child imprisoned in Terezin to quilts created by slave women in the United States, history repeatedly shows us people finding solace in crafting beautiful things.

This striking introduction to outsider art is illustrated in full color with examples from each time period.