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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Show Dedicated to Artists living with Mental Illness
Wednesday 07 May @ 10:35:15 |
 @ Outsiders and Others Gallery
by Valerie Valentine
We’ve all heard of the fine line between genius and madness. From politicians to scholars to artists, the renowned are often the ones who push the envelope on the status quo. To make an impact on society, it usually takes someone with a lot of nerve and a touch of madness.
The May exhibit at Outsiders and Others Gallery celebrates artists living with mental illness. This group show includes a diverse set. Some of the artists live with schizophrenia, using paint and paper as a creative outlet; others are skillful and professionally trained. These collected works document perceptions of mental illness, as well as the tenuous links between the mind and reality, and the pressures that may cause them to break.
Gripping collages by Richard Saholt call to mind the spectacle of insanity in mass media throughout the twentieth century. Backed by blood red, his clippings capture images and phrases that haunt the modern human psyche. His fixation lies on the disturbed, and its effect is unsettling. A collage called “John Belushi” documents the life and death of the infamously self-destructive actor; Saholt erects a similar ode to John Wayne Gacy. His works evoke a sense of mental illness in the media: Media hype death in any form, be it by turning an indulgent celebrity into a martyr, or by turning a mass murderer into a celebrity.
Deborah Constandine’s sculptures address representations of self-image that play into our daily neuroses. Her female torsos are constructed with utmost care; the delicate beading shimmers across the eye. One piece consists of wooden girders encircling the bust, waist and hips of a full-figured girdle. Stringent body norms and unnatural ideals of beauty are cause for surrender in some hearts; for others, they can be cause for psychosis. Constandine’s work balances rigid beauty and masochistic pain.
A seven-piece sculpture series by Joy Purchase examines the “Visionary Work” done by artists and activists. In the piece, Purchase identifies the steps she takes in any project to achieve “obtainment.” From the calling, with one’s heart wide open, Purchase says we, as artists, reach beyond and gather with like minds for balance and flexibility.
This show effectively balances the elements of reaching out, sharing with others, and showing what beauty can evolve from the social stigma of insanity. Maybe if we all tapped into our craziness more often, more art would abound in this world. Clearly, for the artists in this show, art is a means to survival.
Artists Living with Mental Illness exhibit continues through June 7.
Outsiders and Others, 1010 Park Ave. S., Mpls. Hours: Wed., Fri. & Sat. 12 -5 p.m.; Thu. 12 - 7 p.m. 612-338-3435.
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