The first part of this paper discusses the raw art of the naïve and primitive ‘Outsider’ in relation to the development of early modernist art. The intention is to elucidate the significance of this art on the development of modernist aesthetics and to offer some insights as to why this art held such a fascination for the modernist avant garde. Following this we trace later modernist developments; leading to the current post modern cultural position. Throughout this enquiry, the intention is to present a case for the importance and preservation of a sense of ‘otherness’ within the arts – where ‘otherness’ is seen as a container for depth experience touching on the numinous and the spiritual