It's an art gallery dedicated to artists who had no training but had something to express. Some of the artists were mad, while others were mentally handicapped. Then there we a few who were just plain eccentric!
[image: Entrance to Collection de L'Art Brut]
I was fortunate enough to view an exhibit featuring 12 artists from Japan (most of whom are mentally handicapped). The exhibit was amazing- in fact, the whole museum was impressive. I'm very glad I decided to go by myself. Usually when I can't find anyone to do an activity with me I don't end up doing anything. This time, however, I was determined!
I had a great time! My only wish is that I had more time. I spent a total of 4 hours in there, but I could have easily made it 6.
What the artists produced is so original and interesting. Learning about them and their history made it more real as well. The Japan exhibit played films that show cased the artists. I found myself sitting there for a good 30 minutes at a time just listening and reading the French subtitles.
One artist focused on words and pictures, while another created his own language from text/drawings. One man was just eccentric and created hats and clothing out of things he found in the garbage. One the weekends he goes to the Chinese district in Yokohama wearing his creations while delivering a message of peace.
[image: Exposition Japon poster for L'Art Brut. Created by Takashi Shuji]
Most of the artwork (outside the Japon exhibit) was very pleasant to look at. There were others, however, that were a little disturbing. One man, who had gotten into witchcraft during his travels, created dolls out of old rags, paint, blood and dirt. That was the only part of the exhibit that sort of creeped me out. But in that train wreck sort of way (the kind you just can't look away from). His "dolls" were contorted into various shapes that looked more like demon babies than dolls. I wish I could have taken a picture- but it wasn't allowed.
To commemorate my experience, I bought a few postcards! :D I plan to create some sort of collage with these when I return to Texas.
The first one is by Edmund Monsiel, an untreated schizophrenic who did most of his work on scraps of paper. There is a strong religious theme in his work. I bought his postcard because I was amazed at the detail that went into his work. During WWII he hid himself in his brothers attic and remained there for 20 years until he died in 1967. When his stuff was cleaned out, over (I think) 500 scraps of paper were found. The card I bought is a photograph of one of his many sketches; composed of nothing but faces. Sometimes, there are as many as 3,000 faces in one drawing. Very interesting.
The second card I bought was by Carlo. He was sent to the front during his military service and this became too much for him. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1947. The background of the postcard is filled with numbers and words. Something seen throughout his work.
3rd: Paul Amar- possibly my favorite sculpture at the museum. He essentially makes his art work out of shells and eats plenty of shellfish in his apartment in Paris to keep his stock up. Afterwards, he paints the shells and creates various ocean-scapes. His colors are so vivid and bright. To add to this, he hides lights in his masterpiece to create depth. Absolutely stunning. My postcard doesn't do justice.
4th: Rodolfo Abella- created life sized animals out of scraps of wood he would find in the river. I was completely in awe of the horse he did (which is why I bought the card).
5th. Takashi Shuku. He creates all of his art using charcoal (mostly black) and in fact creates with such force, that his face is usually black after he has finished. He draws what is put on his table. The process is beautiful. It was so interesting to watch and learn about him and how he creates his art. The postcard I bought is his image that was also used for the "Japon" exhibit.
All in all, I had a wonderful day. I'm so glad I decided to go out by myself! In fact, I think I had a better time exploring the museum by myself than I would have had if someone came with me. I was able to really take my time and enjoy the art and learn about its creators.
Great day.
[image: Postcards I bought. Right to Left/Top to Bottom: Takashi Shuji, Carlo, Paul Amar, Rodolfo Abella, Edmund Monsiel]
3 comments:
wow that would be really cool to see. It would be like peering into the mind of the insane or mentally handicapped.
Did the horse look like the one we saw in the Houston museum... you know, where i got in trouble for taking a picture.
I.... like that. A lot.
Very cool, glad you went. It's difficult to find the right people to go to art museums anyways. Though when by yourself you can really get drawn into the art; i spent like 4 hours at the MoMA in NYC by myself.
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