Outragous Outsider Art!

This year I discovered a new category of art. It is called Outsider Art, and it is characterized by artists who are for whatever reason disconnected with society. Often these individuals are or were held at an mental institution. Some of the great "Outsider" artists I have discovered are:

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Henry Darger.

Henry was a man who was very much to himself, he was suspected to be schizophrenic. He was a writer in addition to an artist. He wrote a large manuscript about young girls in slavery, and did over 100 paintings to accompany the story. His work is very unusual, and disturbing. It is interesting to me to see the outcome of an independent mind with no influence from the outside world. That's why this art is often called 'raw' art. It makes a person wonder; "with no connection to the world how can one create these pieces" ? That is the intrigue of Outsider art, there is no influence, or real contact with the outside world, yet the mind is able to conger up these often disturbing, but beautiful images ( as well as writing in this case). The mind is a mysterious thing.

Adolf WOlfi.

Adolf Wölfli had a very troubled childhood, in which he was abused, and molested. As he grew up he too continued the family chain of molestation and unlike Henry attended a psychiatric ward after a short time in prison. He suffered from hallucinations and was often violent, so he was kept in isolation at the ward. There he began his art. Adolf's style of art is what's called Horror Vacui, an intricate design with no white spaces. He, like Henry, had no real connections with people, other then the workers. Adolf was determined and would use his pencils until they were stubs. Often he would use only stray pieces of lead to do his work, at Christmas the staff would present him with a box of pencil crayons which were said to last him 3 weeks at best. Wolfli created 45 volumes of a semi- autobiography of 25,000 pages, accompanied by 1,600 illustrations.

The stories of these men's lives may sound like a horror movie to you but can you image living alone in isolation for years and years with a distorted , disconnected view of society? It would be a confusing, dreadful ordeal (and no I'm not condoling his molestation or violent acts because he had mental illness but I'm sure constant isolation and darkness didn't help his condition). At least he was productive, I mean back in his time people probably thought the man was incapable of thought. I think that for outsider artists art was a way to show people what their perception of the world was. Maybe even a cry for help in Henry's cases, as no one ever really knew him or paid attention to him whilst he was a free man. He wouldn't show anyone his work when he was alive, and at his death the people cleaning his apartment found his writing, and drawings. They asked him why he didn't show anyone but he just acknowledged that too late at that point. After his death he was remembered by his art and today is a wonderful example of the distortion mental illness causes.

There are a few other outsider artists but none that I seem to be very interested in. A lot of the people considered to be 'outsider artists' these days (in my eyes) aren't, I don't think you can have a true outsider artist with out the person being in isolation in his or her home or in an institution. I think outsider artists are rare to find these days because more people reach out to those with mental illness today and we don't have the same polices as we did in the early 1900's. I would however still consider an artist who confines their self to their home while suffering from mental illness to fit the category of an outsider artist. Maybe I'm wrong with my interpretation but that's just how I see it. Anyway outsider art is worth sacrificing if it means that more mental illness is being treated and more people cared for.

Other outsider artists include Martin Ramirez and Judith Scott

who has Down Syndrome, is deaf, and does not does not speak. Judith makes mostly body sculptures out of yarn.

Honestly my fascination with this type of art is not so much for the art but for the idea of the artist's minds.
Could what those diagnosed with mental illnesses see be something that we, the general public, are blind to? :o

The Marvels of March Break.

March Break is such a treasure! Even if you haven't gone of on an EF tour to Egypt or Paris, just staying home is the best. It's a time to recover, a time to sleeeeeeeeep, a time to create, and catch up with work. For the first time in you don't know when you can read a new book without interruption, sleep in , stay up watching late night movies and start a new project. It's not like a weekend either, week ends are simply a tease, two late nights, one sleep in and then you're all messed up for school that Monday.

As of yet I haven't ventured out into the world other than to visit my father and watch the federal budget at his place ( plus pre and post stuff -- yepee haha ). That is just fine with me though, it's great to eat egg salad and not worry about your breath, and stay in my PJ's all day long. This is not to say I haven't been oddly productive though, I've put up a bulletin board, read half a book, written my three blog articles, and made the awesome mobile you see here. The mobiles message focuses on the uniqueness of every person. It's easy to tell what article inspired me to make this mobile by the close up image! -- (See dreadlocks can be sophisticated).



I did not draw the faces, although I did create them using 'Ultimate Flash Face' online: http://flashface.ctapt.de/ ( a very amusing site, with some truly ugly hair styles haha).

So although I haven't done absolutely nothing I certainly haven't done what I should be doing which is writing my two papers for school. I have to do one small one on Jerry Lewis, and one large research paper on Bio fuels, both of which are hardly started. I'm not worried as of yet, but I'm sure I will be pulling my hair out by Sunday. :)
Wish me luck, I just may need it when the march break doziness wears off and reality sinks in!

Only stinky monkey people dread their hair! (The Stigma Behind Dread Locks)

That's right if you dread your hair well.. YOU my friend smell like a monkey because you don't ever wash ! You're scruffy and you are such a hippy you take mind altering drugs and hug trees!

Not quite :) . I don't have dreads so maybe I can't speak on this topic, (although I have dreaded hair before) but I believe that the prejudice toward those who do has gone too far. People who have dreadlocks are not a bunch of pychodelic beings! They simply like the style, or think it is more natural. I personally have always loved the look of dreaded hair, I think it is beautiful and very sexy.

The job situation believe it or not sounds pretty slim for those with dreads. I have read some horror stories about getting fired, or not hired even with good qualifications because people seem to assume that they are unclean or rebellious. Should anyone be refused from a job because they don't do their hair the same as another person I think not, but obviously it's more then just dreaded hair. The big problem this all ties into is a lack of open mindedness. Here is a link with some of the stories I read: http://www.naani.com/index.html?lang=en-us&target=d109.html

Myths about dreadlocks need to be debunked! Dreads take maintenance just like any hair, in fact they take quite a lot of time to clean and maintain. They are clean and natural and they are beautiful. People need to stop the judging, we need more variety in the work place as it is. People should be pleased to see something unique in the public, unfortunately I can't force anyone into that. I just wish people would open their minds to new things.

Anyway that's my 2 cents.