Jurate Macnoriute
There are a lot of differences between art of mentally ill and mentally healthy artists, but after thorought stylistic analysis of 506 samples of insane persons artworks and 100 sane I concluded that only two stylistic features generally differ insane and sane people:
Art Styles, Directions, Movements and Mental IllnessesIt follows that artists depending of being or absence their mental illness and its type has certain individual manners of depicting of things. In one period artists with one characteristics and mental sufferings are more appreciated when in other period. In the 15th century E. Munch, V. van Gogh, M. K. Ciurlionis could not become eminent artists for their too dilettante drawing. S.Dali could not be eminent in epoch of mind and humanism, the Renaissance, for his foolery. Perfect drawer Michelangelo with his taintless mental health would not hope for success in the 20th century when primitiveness, inaptitude, psychosis and quackery were reigning.
- Main difference between them lies in weight of depicted things. Figures drawn by healthy people are heavy and suiting law of gravitation are pulled down, figures of mentally ill have anti-weight and are pulled conversely -- upwards. Criminals objects linger in open space.
- Another the most important difference lies in character of depiction of space. Contrast between openness of picture space with emphasis on central figure shows absence of unity and it is one of main symptoms of mental illness or criminality. Space of sane individuals usually is closed, in case of open space they do not emphasize figures.
Thus some concrete artist becomes eminent working in done style, living in concrete time and place, suffering concrete mental illness. Hence if all individuals suffering this same illness have similar stylistic features, we may conclude that concrete illness are a basis of some art style, direction or movement. In that way E. Munch was a progenitor of expressionism, S. Dali -- of surrealism. Example of Michelangelo shows that Revival Style and similar classicism are the art styles of mentally healthy artists more than of any modernistic direction and movement.
In broad outline modern movements by their origin may be classifiable in that way:
- Schizophrenic art can be called a progenitor of abstractionism, romanticism, Art nouveau, expressionism, fauvism, metaphysical art, surrealism, Neue Sachlichkeit, abstract expressionism, art brut, Visionary Environment, neo fauvism, action painting, Supports-Surfaces, feministic art, La Trans-avanguardia italiana, symbolism, funk art, L'Informel, situationism, installation, Fluxus, figuration narrative, conceptual art, La Coopérative of Malassis, art of homosexuals, Graffiti;
- Paranoia -- dadaism, surrealism, action painting, figuration libre, Nouveau Réalisme, Arte povera, La Coopérative of Malassis, kollages, visionary environment, installation, some forms of decorative art;
- Alzheimer -- abstractionism, abstract expressionism, suprematism, Op-art, orphism, neo plasticism, minimalism, post minimalism;
- Mania -- impressionism, expressionism, pointillism, futurism, surrealism, suprematism, Lutchism, muralism, kinetic art, Op-art;
- Mentally retarded -- cubism, pattern painting, expressionism, fauvism, purism, Cobra, bad painting, hyperrealism, Ou Pein Po, Pop art, installation;
- Autism -- surrealism, Les Nabis, Nouvelle subjectivité, American realism like Hopper, Rockwell Kent's.
- Criminality -- surrealism, expressionism, metaphysical art, Art brut, neo fauvism, hyperrealism, La Trans-avanguardia italiana, art of homosexuals, La Coopérative of Malassis, Situationism, Pop art, graffiti, funk art, 3D art.
- Homosexuality, feministic art, La Trans-avanguardia italiana, art brut.
- Children and kids -- naive art, expressionism, fauvism, Cobra, bad painting.
We see that like mentally ill individual seldom suffer one mental illness, but mostly a few severe illnesses simultaneously, art movements usually contain symptoms of different mental diseases. For instance surrealistic attitude are generated by paranoia, criminality, mania, schizophrenia; expressionism by schizophrenia, mania, Alzheimer, mentally retarded, criminality, homosexuality.
When will come the end of modernism? When all mental illnesses and their combinations will be exhausted.
All articles
Introduction to Art of Mentally Ill and Healthy People
Mental Illnesses. Short Review
Art Testing for Mentally Ill and Mentally Healthy People
Stylistic Characteristics of Art of Mentally Ill Patients and Mentally Healthy People
Anti-weight of Depicted Objects as One From Two Supreme Criterions Diagnosing Mental Illness
The Drawing Test for Individuals Suffering Mental Illness
The Drawing Test for People not Diagnosed With Mental Illness
Diagnostic Example. Self Analysis
Stylistic Closeness Between Mentally Ill and Gothic Arts
Stylistic Characteristics of Criminals Art
Art Styles, Directions, Movements and Mental Illnesses
Presence of Time in Painting of Mentally Ill and Mentally Healthy Artists
Conclusive Result of Research on Art of Mentally Ill and Healthy Artists
Copyright © 2004, Jurate Macnoriute (Jūratė Macnoriūtė)