Mad Men And Women In Art.

Everyone in Art is a bit MAD

Lookin good Roger!

eccentric v mad v criminal v mentally ill v differences in all of them individual by individual.

Not sure we say anyone is "mad".

Dave Bridburg
Bridburg.com
Post Modern Gallery

Dave B. Term picked for historical reasons not accuracy of diagnosis. When Honoré Fragonard was release from his position as professor the reason given was he had gone mad.

Definitely not me, I'm as boring as they come.

DK....HaHa!

I'm a little mad.....but more angry than crazy....well, maybe today anyway......maybe not?

I for sure have never thrown anyone off of a bridge....or anything else for that matter!

I confess Ronald, I've been called crazy more times than I can remember. :-)

Nobody calls me crazy. On the contrary, they underestimate my madness, mistaking it for sanity.

Crazy? Me? Nah? but maybe I couldn't paint like this , when sane!

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/furious-screaming-crazy-viva-anderson.html

I think that creating art is something that you can do, even if you have serious mental illness...or maybe I should say that creating art is something that you can do in spite of serious mental illness.

You just can't function in some professions if you don't have your crap together. An art career just requires you to create. Especially when you keep in mind that many of the famous artists from the past lived in impoverished obscurity.

If we include addiction as severe mental illness many many people with a very broad variety of illnesses are in careers functioning well.

It is a misnomer that the mentally ill have to take a backseat in the jobs market.

Dave Bridburg
Bridburg.com
Post Modern Gallery

Sure, David...but I said serious mental illness, I'm talking about people who would be considered "Mad" as referenced in the title of this thread.

Madness, is an antiquated term, but it does conjure up certain images of an inability to function in normal society.

I am nicknamed "Lucy" at work because people confess all their issues and problems to me. My coworkers have filled a jar of nickles for me. It's a comedy in our building.

What did that have to do with this thread?

Nothing.

I am not sure why I wrote that.

Lisa I think that is a kick!

Arent we all?

I sign in my friend on faa, she is a kind of mad, spend more time in mental hospitals then someone in freedom, but when she is out she paint sometimes, this is her work Moon an a vulcano, i dont know how much it is interesting to not mad people

Andrew,

I see that as acute mental illness. Treated people with very serious chronic mental illnesses are often captains of industry.

The old stigmas are not stopping people.

Dave Bridburg
Bridburg.com
Post Modern Gallery

Milija,

Thanks for introducing me to the EYE, MIND & HAND of this true Artist

I just finished watching the Hemingway Ken Burns/Novak documentary on PBS. Between the family history of depression, the bumps to the head and the heavy drinking, it's a miracle anything of substance was produced.

And how much more Hemmingway would have produced had he not shot himself at 62.

I would think that even the best of sellers amongst us have created a lot more art than they sell, or could even reasonably expect to sell. So does the - repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results apply to artists as well? Just wondering what that thing is that drives us to create?

Val, I guess we are all insane to some degree then. lol

Hard to say but since it is universal across humanity I think it is something hardwired into our makeup.

Lots of people like to adopt "insanity" as a badge of honor, but thankfully most of us are not. Indulging your fantasies in art doesn't count.

Mostly what I am hoping for are stories about artist on the edge, or just past the edge!

WE MUST KEEP IN MIND

We can't think and do "Normal" and still be artists

Edit:

Ronald, you can't go "Just pass the edge"...if you go pass the edge...You Go OVER the Edge

It would be pretty easy for me to do the Pollock thing and drink myself to death, that's why I don't drink at all. While I've had my episodes (relatively mild) so far I've never felt the urge to cut off my ear or any other body part.

Roger if you can fly the edge is not a problem. David King good thing you are keeping all of your body parts intact, very difficult to grow them back.

Did anyone bring up Jackson Pollack? I think he was mad. He didn't sound like a nice man and drank heavily enough to end his life via car accident.

For some reason, that particular death bores me...too many mean drunks out there for it to be cool. Maybe he made drunk driving and dying cool in his time.