The Genius of Madness

Jean Dubuffet, a 20th century French artist, coined the term art brut, or “raw art,” after reviewing Hans Prinzhorn’s book, Artistry of the Mentally Ill, a collection of artworks by psychiatric patients. Dubuffet championed the merit of the work and amassed his own collection of artwork by these unconventional artists. According to Dubuffet, art brut is the purest form of creativity because the artists/patients were untainted by society and cultural norms; their work is produced out of a sheer creative need, without being influenced by conventions of the day or a desire to please an audience.

 

In the 1970s, the term “outsider art” was established as the official English translation of art brut and expanded to include art or artists that were “outside of society.” According to Dubuffet’s theory, the more the artists were integrated into society and culture, the more their creativity was stifled.

This chart demonstrates Dubuffet’s theory of the concentration of creativity. The closer to the center, the more “real” or unfiltered creativity was displayed in the artists’ artwork.

 Do you think creativity is linked to cultural awareness?

Artist Vincent Van Gogh is infamous for his severed ear and his tragic end. During his decade-long art career, he produced nearly 900 paintings and more than 1,100 works on paper; however, he only sold one painting during his lifetime. When French art critic Albert Aurier wrote a complimentary article about Van Gogh’s work, the artist wrote a letter arguing the talents of others over his own, claiming himself to be, “of very secondary importance.” Although he spent time in Paris studying art, Parisian life overwhelmed him and he retreated to the French town of Arles, where he began suffering mental problems.

Van Gogh was educated but chose to isolate himself in the country and suffered a mental breakdown. According to Dubuffet’s theory, which category do you think Van Gogh belonged to?

~ Loren from Curatorial