Jurate Macnoriute
Anti-weight of Depicted Objects as One From Two Supreme Criterions Diagnosing Mental Illness

Where is the border between mental patient and normal people art? How do quantitative art properties define change of quality? Can a person be diagnosed by one's drawing? What are criterions of art done by mentally ill person? These and other questions interested me when I analyzed 506 artworks of mentally ill patients.

Thus in these 506 artworks I noticed one regularity -- looking at these images glance of viewer is directed upwards in 97% cases. In works of art of mentally healthy artists I did not notice this phenomenon. After analyzing of both groups I came to conclusion that difference lies in depicted objects' weight. Depicted by normal artist objects' weight is normal -- downwards, by mentally ill ones -- upwards, that is their objects have as if anti-weight, they are pulled upwards, and this is the reason why glance of viewer is directed upwards even if picture's lines go downwards. Insane artists as if paint they pictures upside-downed.

Testing mentally healthy artists most of all I appealed to art works of Michelangelo, because Italian criminologist and physician Cesare Lombroso (1836-1909) in his The man of genius on basis of analysis of biographies of well-known people and of research of a large amount of patients works, stated that Michelangelo was mentally healthy genius.

For test of mentally ill artists I chose V. van Gogh, E. Munch and M. K. Čiurlionis (Ciurlionis). Their insanity is shown by biographical facts -- treatment in mental institutions. Example of paranoiac case was taken S. Dali with his critical-paranoiac method.

Fig. 7. Massimo D. Zilioli, Ink.

When the image in Fig. 7 stands upright -- the blot evidently has weight; this same image upside-downed -- the blot does not fall, it is pulled upwards. It shows Massimo D. Zilioli's being free from mental disorder.

If this same procedure we execute with drawn by mentally ill patient rosette that can be compared with abstract blot like in Fig. 7, we ascertain that the rosette behaves in such same way as figurative pictures of Munch, van Gogh or others mentally ill.

The 7th case shows that the giving of volume for image is not necessary for weight's illusion creation. Though some means exist for reinforcement or attenuation of weight effect. Weight varies in artworks of different artists from Michelangelo's stone to mental patients' anti-weight shooting to sky. A reason of weight character lies in association of depicted bodies with hard or light substances from that as if the images are formed. For instance, Michelangelo's bodies seem similar to sculptured stone, van Gogh's to hot vapors (like vapors in "The Potatoes Eaters"), Munch's to flame, Ciurlionis's to rising fume.

For detection of Munch's secret of rise, I compared his art with a picture of his follower A.Šaltenis, At a bus-shelter (Autobusų stotelėje, 19740). Superficial resemblance evident (asymmetric composition, streamline contour), but if Munch's forms rise having anti-weight, in Saltenis picture dynamics near to centrifugal dynamics is evidently groped what is a negative sign. Munch does not appreciate schemes, Saltenis's figures balanced, cabined into unlived triangular layout, his sky oppressive, contours of figures sessile. If Munch's figures allude to sepulchral spirits, Saltenis's ones scarecrows. If Munch shapes objects as if from fire, Saltenis as if from exploding concrete monument. Thus Munch's secret is in absence of compositional schemes, absence of clear balance and in fire modeling. That proves why never copyists exceed subjects of their aspiration. It is not a fat part to copy other artist, because this artist is other individual being possessed of different psychopathologic features.

Still one phenomenon is noticeable that drawn object's weight does not reliant on picture's lines directions and formed by them mood. If Michelangelo's lines are uprising and give amused mood, weight pulls down. If van Goghs's lines are uprising and give amused mood, anti-weight pulls upwards. If Munch's lines are falling and give sad mood, anti-weight pulls upwards. If in pictures of Ciurlionis both lines uprising and falling have equal significance and give slightly sad mood, anti-weight pulls upwards.

Another device for anti-weight creation is laying most dark dabs in lower part of picture and bright ones in upper part. Ciurlionis especially frequently liked to use this effect. In Fig. 8 you can assure that the left case the rising takes place; in the right this effect absent. In epoch of the Renaissance in contrary painters fared sky darker that it does not put off viewer's attention from main figures.

Rising in drawings of madmen upwards and anti-weight are false appearance of skill. Skill also is connected with some lightness.

I would like to add that anti-weight is not equal to illusion of rising of forms and dabs. For example, Michelangelo reckoned that the most beautiful form is flame's, and his painted bodies go upwards though as we saw above his shapes has weight like stones. Another case can be mentioned Vincentas Gecas's picture "Emotions" created in 1969. On dark background red, yellow and blue dabs seem as if rising, but Gecas's objects have right weight downwards.

Michelangelo

van Gogh

Munch

Ciurlionis

Saltenis

Photograph

shape's clearness

shape clearer than in photograph

clear

unclear

unclear

unclear

clear

contour

clear

a bit chapped

streamlined simplified living

various from hard to soft

streamlined simplified schematic

chapped vanishing

softness

solid

soft

very soft, doughy

both

doughy

---

weight's direction

downwards

upwards

upwards

upwards

upwards

slightly downwards

modeling, association of rise or pressure

stone

hot vapors

fire

rising fume

---

association of human bodies

with stone

gangrene

often as carrion corpses

amber

wood

natural

depicted face's expression

heroic

insane

insane

insane

ugly

natural

sensitivity

absent

high

high

high

high

by photographed objects

idealization

yes

absent

absent

yes

absent

by nature

colors

natural

more intense

pure red sharpens colors of carrion corpses

strained

strained

natural

volume

yes

no

no

no

no

yes, if good enough quality

domination of uprising / or falling \ lines

uprising /

uprising /

falling \

both

slightly falling \

---

domination of sad /\ or amused \/ lines

\/

\/

/\

both

/\

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