Schizophrenia, Louis Wain and Cats.
A 20th-century artist, Louis Wain, who was fascinated by cats, painted these pictures over a period of time in which he developed schizophrenia. The pictures mark progressive stages in the illness and exemplify what it does to the victim’s perception. (Source)
If only I could paint like that…
I think the only problem, other than the homicidal or suicidal tendencies, with schizophrenia, is the break down of communication. It’s not like his reality isn’t just as real. It’s that the ability to express ones self with a majority that is collectively within a more tangible reality. Because reality is only defined by our perception of it. This night be hard to understand for some, but think there’s a lot more to our reality than meets our perception of it.
Interesting artwork. Thanks for sharing.
I completely agree with you, Tridd! “Reality” is what we perceive, with our limited senses, and resides solely in our minds. We can only function with any efficiency in it because humans have evolved a way to “perceive” through consensus. Our ability to be part of that consensus – most of the time – is what constitutes “normality” or “reality”.
This art is a window into the alternative ways that “what’s out there” can be perceived by our brain, in its varied states.
“I think the only problem”,…………….HUH !
TRIDD doesn’t have the slightest clue WTF he’s talking about,
try looking up schizophrenia before being so flip.
These artworks have been published for decades; they’re interesting, but unique – they are no more “representative” of the experience of schizophrenia than Rembrandt is “representative” of the experience of normality. As for schizophrenia being no more than an alternative view of reality, only someone who has not seen the misery experienced by some schizophrenics as a result of their illness(es) could hold this romantic notion. (Not that mental health treatment in the US is much of a better alternative. For many persons in America, treatment for mental health is worse than the disease.)
What this page is missing is the “before.” I think it makes a big difference to see what his work was like before the onset of schizophrenia.
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/Courses/nbb421/student2003/epl8/Blank%20Page%202.htm
Not to mention that there is just a little more “after.” Check out his wikipedia page, as well, if you want to learn more.
Uh huh. Little boys and girls, good work on the reading and everybody sounds intelligent enough to realize that none of you have the slightest idea of what you are talking about…seriously, before anything, I believe all of you need to take some serious English lessons…elaborate wordings doesn’t make any of you a bit more smarter than others..matter of fact..you guys are just full of it and down right DUMB. I can say this because you guys ARE^^ heh heh..simple idiots.
Schizo is fucking horrifying and this painting grasps EVERYTHING about the diesease. It’s subject that can never be allowed for debate or even a casual discussion unless you’re a shrink or a victim of Schizo.
Go drink your wine and make sure everybody goes to bed before 8 pm.
This is for DDK:
Schizophrenia should be discussed by anyone who wants to talk about it. Raising public awareness and understanding of the illness will go along way for detatching the social stigma that is so often associated with mental health problems. It is sn awful illness but more people can understand this than shrinks and patients.
DDK: Weakest troll ever. Do you understand how difficult it is to read.. things.. when.. every.. sentence.. ends in.. ellipsis.. Perhaps you could point me in the directions of those English lessons? I’ll try not to use too many elaborate wordings when I talk about this “diesease”.
Wain != ‘I only want to draw a cat but my braaaain turns everything psychedelic’. The relationship between artist and art is not so black and white. As for schizophrenia, yes it’s pretty awful. My uncle John chopped his mattress (and nearly his two daughters) up with a hatchet because there were demons in it that whispered to him in the night. Now he’s just a coshed zombie thanks to antipsychotics.
However, you must surely realise how weak your argument is – both that the painting ‘grasps everything about the disease’ (Wain’s wikipedia article casts doubt on his diagnosis too by the way), and that the disease cannot be discussed without first-hand experience. If you can’t see why that last part is so stupid, you should probably never post anywhere again.
Gerladine you’re an idiot. Schizophrenia is a horrible disease process. This man’s reality is a direct representation of the amount of gray matter that he is losing. His brain is dying. It’s idiots like you that keep people from straight foward, cut and dry facts. I hope you choke on a piece of artwork whilst I come up with the cure for this horrible mental disease process.