The deep and complex world of mental illness continues to be full of misunderstandings and stereotypes that are mostly fed by mass media. Whenever we hear stories about criminals or murderers, their psychological background is used to “explain” their actions, as if their view of the world, beliefs, feelings, and circumstances meant nothing compared to what they can do because of the condition they “suffer from.” Also, in movies, people living with mental illness are shown in asylums, as if they couldn’t have a peaceful, everyday life. It’s easier to just take a group of people and label them with a stereotype, rather than make an effort to really understand them.
Äloise Corbaz, Etudiants Zofinchien, (1951-1960)
Ernst Josephson, Gåslisa, (1888-1890)
One condition that people are most curious about is schizophrenia. Perhaps it’s the lack of information regarding this condition that makes people intrigued by the mystery of a mind affected by sporadic yet unreal visions. Art has been a medium through which people living with schizophrenia have managed to shape and make sense of a reality that is not as understood as it should be. But not only that: by sharing their vision of their world, they can help others understand their reality and show that it is not as mysterious and surreal as other people might think.
Unknown artist, Adamson collection (1946)
August Natterer, Hexenkopf (Witch’s head), (1915)
Schizophrenia is a condition that makes people hallucinate and hear voices that are not there, which in some cases might frighten the person and make them act in a “strange” or “erratic” manner. People with this condition might have problems when making logical connections between one thought and the other, but with proper therapy and medication, they can control this and live their lives, go to work, and have healthy relationships. The only moment when schizophrenia can make them lose touch with reality is during psychotic episodes, which are not as frequent as the media might make you think, especially when the patient is under treatment.
Now, as for this condition in art, we have already talked about the link between creativity and mental illnesses. However, is that link really depicted by artists themselves or is it a product of their surroundings? In other words, are we seeing what the artist wanted us to see, or what the critics and art institutions want us to see?
William Kurelek, The Maze, (1953)
Eugen Gabritschevsky, Untitled, (1947)
I want to invite you to reflect on how the art world has depicted schizophrenia, which is not necessarily through the eyes of people who have actually lived with this condition. When looking at these paintings, I can’t help but wonder: how much does knowing about the artist’s background change or bias our interpretation of their art? Is their art still a kind of catharsis for them, if the artist lived with schizophrenia? Or do we add the layer of mental illness when we learn about the author’s story?
Vaslav Nijinsky, A Mask, (1919)
Hilma af Klint, Altar Painting, (1915)
In his article about mental health in art, Scott Indrisek mentions the case of Hilma af Klint, one of the first abstract painters in the world, whose symbolic and minimalist creations were inspired by the spiritualist trends of her time. Although there is no official record of her suffering from any mental disease, for many years her paintings were described as “visions,” as if these had a pathological source, instead of acknowledging her as an innovator in an artistic movement that’s usually associated with other artists such as Kandinsky or Mondrian. In this case, mental illness works to undermine or misjudge an artist’s work, especially if we consider that the condition that was falsely attributed to her doesn’t really have a positive connotation in our society.
Francisco de Goya, Saturn Devouring his Son, (1819-1823)
Vincent van Gogh, Wheatfield with Crows, (1890)
But then, there are also famous cases where schizophrenia works the other way around. Take, for instance, the case of Vincent van Gogh, who is widely thought to have lived with this condition and whose works have been interpreted in terms of his mental health, although there is no consensus on that. And, when you think about it, should that really matter when admiring his art? For many, it does, and it is even a way of interpreting his artistic career. This common mistake not only undervalues his training and creativity, but also reinforces both the stereotype of the tormented artist and that of the “mad genius,” the one who needs an illness to be creative.
Agnes Martin, Untitled #1, (2003)
Adolf Wölfli, The Ring of the St. Adolf-Fire-Snake, in the Indian Ocean, (1920-21)
Maybe, to truly understand schizophrenia, we should listen to the voices of those who live with this condition. And if their art focuses on that, admire their works with an open mind and the will to really grasp the message they want to share –in case there is a message at all. As you may have seen, some of their works don’t really depict the hallucinatory episodes of schizophrenia or the tormenting side of this illness. Just as it happens with any other artist, their works will focus on other aspects of everyday life, their family, their loved ones, their environment, a dream they had, and any other theme you can think of.
In the end, art is an expression of our humanity and its many faces. We must not forget that artists with schizophrenia are as human as anybody else, and as such, they’ll express the many sides of their humanity, not just their illness.
