Differences Between Art
of Mentally Ill and Mentally Healthy Individuals
Jurate Macnoriute The idea of
this research occurred to me when
I began to
analyze contemporary Lithuanian artworks. Then a question rose:
are the authors of these
works of art mentally ill, criminals or charlatans free of conscience? I had no any other way as
only to start this research and write this paper. Another aim was a wish to
create a mechanism of influence on contemporary art for development of better
its qualities than only imitation of art of mentally ill, criminals, kids and
other outsiders, because such imitation is dirty bad psychological background
not only for themselves artists, but also for all society that are under
necessity of being among such "chef-d'oeuvres" in surrounding and media.
Principles of art of mentally ill patients unconsciously came into usage in art
academies as self-explanatory without understanding of their origin and meaning. For those purposes knowing
of differences among art of mentally ill, criminals, kids, and mentally healthy
people is necessary and this my research is intended to detection of those
differences. For the stuff I specially
drove to the nearest
psychiatric hospital in Švėkšna (Shvekshna),
Lithuania.
When I explained my purpose and asked of the head psysician permission to
communicate with patients for giving answers to questions of my test, he was
greatly surprised and said that such subject is very difficult: "Nobody know the
border between mental patient and normal people's art, and if you will find
right answer, you perhaps shall receive Nobel Prize"...
Mental Illnesses.
Short Review
Though I am not a psychiatrist, but for
convenience of readers of the 18th issue of THE SECRETS OF PERFECTION who have
no medical background I have prepared this short review. The base of this
knowledge is dictionaries and hundreds of Web sites on this subject. Over the fifth part of population
suffers some easier or severer mental illness, that is a great disaster of
contemporary world. At present alienists separate none the less as 374 refractory or incurable
mental illnesses. Main of troubles are schizoaffective disorders, mood disorders, anxiety,
pervasive development disorders like
autistic, cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease, sexual disorders,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, chronic pain and
illnesses,
personality disorders like narcissistic, paranoid and others. Alcoholism, the
drug habit, homosexuality also are ascribed to category of mental illnesses. As research of scientists shows, main reason of mental illness is
a biochemical abnormality or irregularity in brains; mental disorder cannot be caused by
psychological factors,
bad parenting, bad friendship, problems in living,
stresses, etc. Some individuals go crazy for slightest things. Some
individuals never become insane, never abuse alcohol or drugs, never
seduce themselves for homosexual relations, against all the odds with
their friends, enemies and living conditions, Schizophrenia, Autism,
Paranoia...
Stylistic
Characteristics of Art of Mentally Ill Patients and Mentally Healthy People For research of stylistic
characteristics of groups of people suffering concrete troubles I have
analyzed such resources of reproductions: Alcoholism
(Modigliani, Pollack, A.Savickas). The drug habit (Brett Whiteley, Howard
Arkley, Jean-Michel Basquiat). Alzheimer (Heather Hill, other Internet resources). Autism (Richard
Wawro, other from Internet resources). Bipolar
or
manic-depression (Internet resources). Mentally retarded (tested
ones and other Internet resources). Paranoia (S.Dali,
other Internet resources). Schizophrenia (tested
ones, E.Munch, Louis Wain,
other Internet resources). 274 Samples
of art of unspecified mental patients from Internet resources and photographed
by me in the
psychiatric hospital in Švėkšna (Shvekshna),
Lithuania. Mentally healthy untrained people (6 tested ones and my early
artworks). Artworks of free from mental disorder artists (Michelangelo, Ribera, Rembrandt, Rubens,
Ingres, Poussin, Cezanne, my later artworks). Homosexuality (Internet
resources). Criminals (Internet resources). Children (Internet resources)...
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 200 artworks of mentally
ill patients. Thus in these 200 artworks I noticed
one regularity -- in 97% of images glance of viewer is directed upwards.
In works of art mentally healthy artists I did not notice this phenomenon. After
analysing of artworks 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...
The
Drawing Test for Individuals
Suffering
Mental
Illness
I asked the casual respondents
treated earlier or at present in mental hospitals to draw some simple thing
from nature with only request that image would be similar to that
thing. All respondents never studied drawing at any special art school. Medium
pencil on paper. Sheets' size 14.8 x 21...
The
Drawing Test for People not
Diagnosed With Mental
Illness I asked the casual
respondents not diagnosed with mental illnesses to draw some simple thing from nature with only request that image
would be similar to that thing. All respondents never studied drawing at any special art
school, they never draw...
Art Testing for Mentally Ill and Mentally Healthy People
Preparing
material for this cycle of articles I have examined casual 15 mentally ill and 23
healthy people. Here I call mentally ill people if psychiatrists diagnosed
their mental trouble, mentally healthy people, if psychiatrists did not
diagnose any troubles. For this
research I have visited the nearest
Lithuanian psychiatric hospital in Švėkšna
(Shvekshna), studied collected there patients' drawings.
I examined eight from fifteen mentally ill respondents in the mental
institution,
others outside. Mentally illnesses of respondents vary from
Down's syndrome,
schizophrenia to brain damage.
Mentally ill respondents are all who I could visit; mentally healthy
ones are absolutely casual. Gender and age of respondents also are casual,
age is from seven years to eighty. Any respondent did not study art at any special art school...
Stylistic
Differences of Mentally Ill and Far East Artists. Character of Openness as
One From Two Supreme Criterions Diagnosing Mental Illness
Because Eastern art is notable for its
perfect manipulation with line and because linear solution is also
characteristic for mentally ill people, I decided to compare lines behavior in
both practices. For that purpose I chose a Chinese page printed in copper
movable type in 1726 and E. Munch's landscape "Am Strom"; other two samples: Ando Hiroshige,
"Plum Estate", and van Gogh's copy of this same print in oil "Flowering
Plum Tree" (after Hiroshige)...
Diagnostic Example. Self
Analysis
Because I know myself best, for
exemplification I decided to review my own artworks from different periods. Psychological background By nature I
was a lefthander, but in years of infancy after short educational means I
quickly reformed myself to a right hander. My ability was a bit higher than
average, I studied without difficulty, though appreciated more subjects written,
but not oral, because I has a habit to think long. At secondary school
mathematics came well, other pupils copied my home works every morning. Though I
passed over 100 exams, worked hard and too hard without remuneration all my
life, suffered many severe stresses, met not a few sticky human beings, but I
never crossed a boundary after that insanity is. In 1979 one professor who
himself had psychotic problems, even sent me to psychiatrist for test my mental
health. After interrogation a psychiatrist said: "You are absolutely normal and
no needs to come here more"...
Stylistic
Closeness Between Mentally Ill and Gothic Arts A style of architecture developed in
northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th
centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing
buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches; by gloom and mystery and the
grotesque. In Italy that style had no
greater success and later it was called by Italians Gothic, as mockery for its
barbarism -- the Goths were known earlier as barbarous tribes. Gothic period
closed the Middle Ages. Why do I undertake to compare Gothic style
with mental patients' art? The reason is in Gothics feature to rise of the eye
of viewer looking at the Cathedrals' vaulting,
naves, windows, towers to sky. This feature is coincident with main
characteristic of
insane individuals art and together it is not characteristic for art of healthy people. Let us review traits of Gothic architecture
and painting and perhaps we can answer: are Gothic style created by mentally ill
or healthy people?...
Stylistic
Characteristics of Criminals Art Contemporary art, music, literature, cinema and
viewers are influenced by criminals noticeably. It is difficult to
accept as true that nightmare Harry Potter is written by nice married woman
bringing up the kids, but not by
a serial killer. Broadcast and telecast about criminality are most popular among
population. Criminality is romanticized and has relish among young folk. Criminal individuals' influence is noticed on art movements
of the 20th century like surrealism, expressionism, Metaphysical art, Art
brut, neo fauvism, hyperrealism, La Trans-avanguardia italiana, art of
homosexuals, La Coopérative of Malassis, Situationism, Graffiti, Funk art, 3D
art.
Art Styles, Directions,
Movements and Mental Illnesses 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 ones I concluded that in
less or more degree, following two features are characteristic generally for
all insane and sane population, not for separated illnesses: Main difference between them lies in weight. 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. Especially clear
this effect seen if we look at upside-downed pictures/drawings, that is, in
position when top and bottom are reversed. Then figures drawn by healthy
individuals are pulled upwards, by ill ones downwards. 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. Space of sane
individuals usually is closed, in case of open space they do not emphasize
figures.
Conclusive Result of Research of Art of Mentally Ill and Healthy Artists
Because expression of mentally ill people
is so different from healthy ones, some contemporary alienists think that creativity's source is mental illness, and conclusion, that all artists are insane, follows from
their research. I found that originality and modernism of mentally ill
people is unwitting, unintended, for incapacity, conditioned by their illness. The very truth
that mental patients want
to draw similar things to real ones, but they are not able. That is shown by their evaluations of artworks of eminent
artists --
classicistic painting
is more liked than romantic and modernistic, though mentally
ill artists are modernists; euphoric mood is liked and horror is
disliked totally, though in pictures of mentally ill ones horror predominates;
realism is appreciated, though mentally ill are not able to depict reality;
expressionism is less liked (6.7%)than by mentally
healthy ones (26.1%),
but expressionism predominates in art of mentally ill individuals. It
follows that mental illness is not creativity, but distress or unwitting
"creativity" and originality.
Firestone, R.W. The origins of ethnic strife. Mind and Human Interaction. Ethnicity and ethnic wars are related to the attempt to defend against
emotional pain and death anxiety. Psychological defenses formed
originally to cope with childhood trauma are reinforced as the child
becomes aware of death's inevitability. These defenses become and
imaginary survival mechanism for the individual. Social systems
represent a pooling of these individual defense mechanisms as they are
projected into a cultural framework as mores, traditions, and secular
religious beliefs. People have a strong stake in their particular world
views, feel threatened by other groups manifesting other beliefs, and
will fight to the death to defend their point of view. The author
contends that the terror surrounding the inevitable end of existence as
one knows it drives individuals to merge their identity with the group
and challenge, attack, or otherwise attempt to eliminate people of
different persuasions. The outgroup is seen as peculiar, impure, or
evil because alternative systems are perceived as a threat to their own
symbols of immortality. of existence as one knows it drives individuals to merge
their identity with the group and challenge, attack, or otherwise attempt to
eliminate people of different persuasions. The outgroup is seen as peculiar, impure, or
evil because alternative systems are perceived as a threat to their own
symbols of immortality.of existence as one knows it drives individuals to merge
their identity with the group and challenge, attack, or otherwise attempt to
eliminate people of different persuasions. The outgroup is seen as peculiar, impure, or
evil because alternative systems are perceived as a threat to their own
symbols of immortality.
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