Mental Illness and Art

Just read this interesting article about how many creative minds mimic brains with schizophrenia, otherwise known as multiple personality disorder or MPD.

Heres an excerpt from the article from bbc.com:

Creativity is akin to insanity, say scientists who have been studying how the mind works.

Brain scans reveal striking similarities in the thought pathways of highly creative people and those with schizophrenia.

Both groups lack important receptors used to filter and direct thought.

It could be this uninhibited processing that allows creative people to "think outside the box", say experts from Sweden's Karolinska Institute.

In some people, it leads to mental illness.

But rather than a clear division, experts suspect a continuum, with some people having psychotic traits but few negative symptoms.

Damien Hirst

Cupid's Lie- 2008

For the Love of God- 2007 

Away from the Flock (Divided)- 1995 

The Immortal- 1997-2005


Damien Hirst, b. June 7, 1965, is an English visual artist who studied at Goldsmith's College in London. He rose to prominence in the 90's as part of the YBA, or Young British Artists group,  and quickly became the group's most renowned member. Through his use of sculpture, painting, drawing and installation, Hirst explores the theme of death and it's ultimate impact on life. 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Umbrellas

Umbrellas in California via christojeanneclaude.net

Umbrellas in Japan via christojeanneclaude.net

Simultaneously installed in Japan and California, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's The Umbrellas, was a temporary art piece which began installation in 1990. From 1990-1991 around 2,000 workers helped to install 3,100 umbrellas in Iburuka, Japan, and California. The project officially opened October 9, 1991, and lasted only 18 days, during which 3 million people saw and experienced the umbrellas. 

The project was designed to reflect the similarities and differences in the ways of life in the two inland regions. Blue umbrellas were chosen to be installed in Japan, because of the abundance of water and lush vegetation in the region. The umbrellas in Japan were also placed close together to represent the limited space Japan has. In contrast, the vast and open grazing land of California was represented in the whimsical, spread-out configuration of the umbrellas. The yellow color was chosen to represent the dry landscape of the area.   

The entire 26 million dollar temporary art project was entirely financed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude without the help of any sponsorship. 

via christojeanneclaude.net

via christojeanneclaude.net

Hexahedron Planning and Process

First i sketched out the designs and made preliminary sketches for the hexahedron cubes. I also calculated the dimensions needed for each cube. For some of the more difficult shapes, I made a paper model to help me figure out the exact dimensions. 

 

above: paper model 

Next, I drew shapes with their exact dimensions plus a 1/4 inch border, which would later become the tabs that would hold the cube in place. Using an exacto knife, I carefully cut out the shapes. 

 

Using a ruler as a straight edge, I fl

Next came the glue. I used three different types of glue with mixed results. At first i used a glue stick which worked well at first, but the humidity caused the bond to weaken over night. I also used craft glue, which did basically the same thing the glue stick did. By the next morning, all of my cubes had come apart. I finally chose a glue gun, which made the boxes stick together perfectly. The only downside to the glue gun was how messy it was. It was hard to achieve a perfectly clean surface. 

 Voila!