Mental Health and Art: Artistic Expression II

Louis Wain is an English illustrator who is highly interested in anthropomorphic cats. In the beginning, he was illustrating to make her wife laugh. Unfortunately, he lost his wife to cancer at a very early age and in time he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. This mental illness has deeply altered his personality, thus his artistic style as well. He started painting psychedelic cats which were much more expressive than the earlier ones. Edward Honaker a 21-year-old photographer who is suffering from chronic depression and anxiety said "Your mind is who you are when it does not work properly, it is scary." This sentence can be very much interconnected with Wain's shifting style. As one experiences a traumatic incident, his or her perspective on life can also change dramatically. 



Mental illness is not something tangible. You can not see if the person in front of you is in pain or suffering, yet again Honaker states, "Just because it cannot be seen, does not mean damage cannot be done." and that part is particularly related to my works. I do not solidly represent anxiety or depression, I aim to visualize the feeling of depression and anxiety's existential, incapacitating gravity. in a dark, abstract style.  

Expressionism is another thing I am very much influenced by. Not just stylistically but contextually as well since it is a movement that largely explored the emotional and psychological states of living in a modern world. That is because of the industrial revolution which created a social and spiritual disconnect. A similar problem is occurring for the last 20 years due to the emergence of the internet and increasing social media use which leads a majority of people into depression and anxiety. 

  

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