U.S.

Postal Service issues Martín Ramírez stamps

In March 2015 the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued Second, it is problematic to define Ramírez as a “Mexican-
five commemorative postage stamps dedicated to the art of American artist.” Strictly speaking, a Mexican-American is
Martín Ramírez. This event is something to celebrate. Thanks someone born in the United Sates to Mexican parents or a
to the stamps, millions of people will have visual contact with Mexican-born migrant who becomes an American citizen.
selected details of five Ramírez drawings. The stamps will Ramírez, however, was born in Mexico and never became an
certainly contribute to popular recognition of Ramírez and his art. American citizen. In the 1930s, the California psychiatric
For the Latino community, system, the same system that first
by honoring Ramírez the Postal secluded Ramírez against his will
Service is once again recognizing and against the law, tried many
the contributions of Mexican- times, unsuccessfully, to deport
Americans to U.S. culture and him to Mexico. Using the racist
society—just as it did with the language in vogue today, Ramírez
emission of stamps dedicated to was an “illegal” Mexican migrant,
César Chávez, Ruben Salazar, like the millions of undocumented
Lydia Mendoza, Selena and Frida workers who live now in the
Kahlo. The outsider art community United States with the fear of
has also been celebrating the deportation. In short, what is
USPS decision to honor an outsider unusual is the USPS decision to
artist: The stamps are seen as celebrate an artist who carries the
evidence of the public’s growing double social stigma of mental
appreciation for this artistic field. illness and “illegality.”
There are, however, some important Finally, the design of Ramírez’s
issues to consider. stamps underscores once again
First, if we understand outsider the tension between the recognition
art as synonymous with art brut, of Ramírez as an artist and the
this is the first time an outsider recognition of his artwork. When
artist has been celebrated by the he was still alive, he was
USPS. Under this definition, however, never invited to any of his five
we are accepting Ramírez’s diag- solo exhibitions (1952-1961). His
nosis as a chronic schizophrenic as unquestionable name was never included in those exhibitions or in their press
fact—and assuming the formal characteristics of his work reviews. The emission of this stamp confirms that even today
are the product of his presumed psychotic condition. If we it is still difficult for him to be fully visible. It is a convention
define outsider art in a broader sense, as art produced by a that, when a stamp is dedicated to an artist, the series always
self-taught artist, then this is not the first time an outsider artist comes with a portrait of the artist, not necessarily in the stamp
has been recognized by the USPS. Besides a long tradition itself, but on the page that holds the stamps. I provided
of celebrating identity art (three good examples are the series high-resolution copies of the six existing photos of Ramírez to
dedicated to Amish quilts, American Indian art and New the design team. At first, they chose a photo of Ramírez taken
Mexico Rio Grande Blankets), in 1969 the USPS issued a on the grounds of DeWitt State Hospital in 1952. But in the
stamp depicting a 4th of July scene painted by Grandma end, they were not able to get reproduction rights and did not
Moses. The famous Girl in Red Dress with Cat and Dog painted include a photo. Martín Ramírez is, in a sense, absent again.
by self-taught artist Ammi Phillips was included in the 1998
series dedicated to Four Centuries of American Art. The most — VICTOR ESPINOSA
recent example is the successful 2006 series dedicated to the
quilts of Gee’s Bend, Alabama.
THE OUTSIDER 33
 A publication of Intuit: The Center
for Intuitive and Outsider Art

VOLUME 20 FALL 2015

THE
OUTSIDER

THE OUTSIDER 1