Art & the experience of Mental Illness

The thoughts, beliefs, values, and emotions of artists are always represented in their work, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Three of the more familiar connections between art and the functions of the mind are: 1)the ways in which artists express their own thoughts, feelings, and mental distress in their paintings; 2)the use of art to help individuals with mental disorders; and 3)the occasional emergence of a person with mental illness, untrained as an artist, who proves to have a unique artistic vision. Terry A. Rustin:

In 1792, the Spanish born Francisco Goya ( ) became very sick with a fever and mental confusion and may have had encephalitis. Although he physically recovered, he still suffered with episodes of hallucinations, a depressed mood, and emotional outbursts. Francisco Goya, Self Portrait, 1815

Goya began to depict mental illness and those who suffer with it in a series of etchings (“Los Proverbios” or “Los Disparates,” 1815 through 1824.) He never exhibited these etchings, and they were not published until 40 years after his death.

The French Paul Cézanne ( ), who had repeated bouts of depression, revealed his depressed mood in a number of canvases. Paul Cézanne, Young man with a Skull,

Paul Cézanne, Pyramid of Skulls, 1901

Another Frenchman, Vincent van Gogh ( ), had episodes of depression, episodes of expansive and frenetic mood, and episodes of hallucinations. He committed suicide. His doctors blamed absinthe and a seizure disorder for his mental illness and he has been diagnosed with a variety of disorders, including bipolar disorder after his death. Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889

Van Gogh’s mood swings, his recurring obsession with death, and his psychotic perceptions can be seen in many of his works. Evidence for depressed mood and obsession with death: Vincent Van Gogh, Cypresses, 1890 Vincent Van Gogh, Hanging Skeleton with Cat, 1886

Evidence for hallucinations and delusions: Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889

Evidence for mania and manic states: Van Gogh, Rain, 1889

Several Post-Impressionists are known for expressing their mood disorders in their work. The best known single work is “The Scream” by the Norwegian Edvard Munch ( ), of which there are a number of versions. “The Scream” shows a desperate man, shrieking in his despair. Many of Munch’s other paintings also express the depressed and hopeless mood that tormented him throughout his life, his obsession with death, and his overwhelming fears. 1893

Edvard Munch, Anxiety, 1894

Edvard Munch, Blossom of Pain, 1898

Russian, Mark Rothko ( ) struggled with depression his entire adult life, eventually killing himself. His colour field paintings evoke profound feelings of depression in many viewers, as they did in the artist. Mark Rothko, No. 4, 1964

Mark Rothko, Untitled, 1968

The frenzied images of Jackson Pollock ( ) appear to reflect his inner turmoil. Alcohol dependent and never able to stay sober for long, constantly depressed and frequently suicidal, he died in a one-car crash. A film of him painting shows him working at a hectic pace; he appears to be expressing his internal chaos on the canvas before him. Jackson Pollock, No. 32, 1950

Jackson Pollock, The Flame,

Bernard Buffet, Self Portrait, 1981 Bernard Buffet ( ) suffered with depression, and often depicted himself in a depressed state in his paintings.

Bernard Buffet, Death, 1989

Bryan Charnley ( ) lived with schizophrenia; his medication controlled most of his symptoms but limited his creativity. He deliberately stopped and started medication in order to fully experience his illness and to record it in his paintings. Bryan Charnley, Self Portrait, 1981

Many Artists, who did not have mental illness themselves, depicted the condition in their work. The Scottish Charles Bell ( ), sympathized with the condition of mentally ill patients, and made a number of etchings showing the degrading conditions in which they were kept in England.

Picasso drew a remarkable picture of a schizophrenic man (The Madman, in 1904.)

Ric Hall and Ron Schmitt collaborate in pastels and have many works that reflect serious mental illness, including major depressive disorder, delusions, alcohol dependence and depression and imminent death. Inner Demons, 2002 Awaiting Tomorrow, 2002

TASK: You are to create a work of art reflecting the experience of your chosen Mental Illness. You can create this piece in any medium, however, it MUST have a three dimensional component. Due: November 29 th, for the Mental Health Awareness Night