prevalence of psychopathology was found in this group. Depression or depressive spectrum disorders (depressive, hyperthymic, and cyclothymic personalities or temperaments) were predominant.
Although there is no clear-cut evidence that Miró experienced manic episodes, the possibility has been raised that he was cyclothymic. Miró’s own descriptions of cycles governing his life and work are compatible with this assessment, coupled with the marked variations in his productivity. On several occasions, Miró spoke of experiencing regular cycles in his work, affecting both the rate and process of his painting as well as his subject matter. “Both my life and my work are governed by alternating phases. Yes, indeed, one can speak of cycles in my painting” [Schildkraut and Hirshfeld, 1995]. During those few particularly fruitful decades of invention he gave free rein to an imagination that has no parallel in the history of art [Kimmelman, 1993].
Roland Penrose, his friend and biographer, commented: “Behind the cheerful, innocent, even tranquil look in his face, Miró has never been immune to attacks of violent anguish and depression. He has, however, always been able to balance the threats of imminent disaster by equally potent forces. It is the ability to live with these tensions with comparative equanimity that gives his presence among others a unique quality and a sense of controlled power” [Schildkraut and Hirshfeld, 1995].
A further limitation of the diagnosis is the inability to pinpoint the particular nature of Joan Miró’s affective disorder. As Schildkraut [1996] stated, retrospective diagnoses made on the basis of historical sources, in the absence of direct clinical examinations, are often problematic. So, although there is evidence that Miró experienced cyclicity in his moods, we do not know if Miró had a true bipolar disorder. Moreover, we do not understand the exact nature of the relation between his depressions and his creativity, and we cannot match the depressed state to specific works [Schildkraut and Hirshfeld, 1995, 1996].
Conclusions
Psychopathology, mainly mood disorders, has been closely related with creativity. Joan Miró, one of the most famous painters of the world, suffered from depression from his adolescence. Whether depression was the inspiration for his work, or his work was therapeutic for his depression, will never be clarified. However, he left a great legacy for humanity and his work is admired all over the world.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank Raquel Lavandera Fernández (Oficina de Investigación Biosanitaria-FICYT/ Oviedo) and Cristina Pérez Bueno (Biblioteca Jacques Dupin/Fundació Joan Miró/Barcelona) for their helpful contributions.
References
Adams T: Joan Miró: a life in paintings. Guardian, March 20, 2011.
Angier N: An old idea about genius wins new scientific support. New York Times, October 12, 1993.
Jamison KR: Mood disorders and patterns of creativity in British writers and artists. Psychiatry 1989;52:125–134.
Jeffett W: Assassinating painting: collage and sculpture as a crisis of identity? In Schildkraut JJ, Otero A (eds): Depression and the Spiritual in Modern Art: Homage to Miró. Chichester, John Wiley and Sons, 1996, pp 159–171.
Kimmelman M: A grand phantasmagoria from a catalan poet. New York Times, October 15, 1993.
Post F: Creativity and psychopathology: a study of 291 world-famous men. Br J Psychiatry 1994;165:22–34.
Richards R, Kinney DK, Lunde I, Benet M, Merzel AP: Creativity in manic-depressives, cyclothymes, their normal relatives, and control subjects. J Abnorm Psychol 1988;97:281–288.
Rose B: Miró finds his vocation as an artist; in Schildkraut JJ, Otero A (eds): Depression and the Spiritual in Modern Art: Homage to Miró. Chichester, John Wiley and Sons, 1996, pp 173–185.
Schildkraut JJ, Hirshfeld AJ: Mind and mood in modern art I: Miró and “Melancolie”. Creat Res J 1995;8:139–156.
Schildkraut JJ, Hirshfeld AJ: Rain of lyres circuses of melancholy: homage to Miró; in Schildkraut JJ, Otero A (eds): Depression and the Spiritual in Modern Art: Homage to Miró. Chichester, John Wiley and Sons, 1996, pp 112–130.
Schildkraut JJ, Hirshfeld AJ, Murphy JM: Mind and mood in modern art II: depressive disorders, spirituality, and early deaths in the abstract expressionist artists of the New York School. Am J Psychatry 1994;151:482–488.
Montserrat González Delgado
Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias
Avenida de Roma s/n
ES–33011 Oviedo (Spain)
E-Mail [email protected]
Bogousslavsky J, Tatu L (eds): Neurological Disorders in Famous Artists – Part 4. Front Neurol Neurosci. Basel, Karger, 2018, vol 43, pp 8–22 (DOI: 10.1159/000490862)
Abstract Expressionists and Brain Disease
Bartlomiej Piechowski-Jozwiaka, Julien Bogousslavskyb
aNeurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; bNeurocenter, Swiss Medical Network, Clinique Valmont, Montreux, Switzerland
Abstract
Visual art is one of the means of non-verbal communication that bypasses cultural, societal, language and, more importantly, time differences. It allows for establishing a multilevel connection between the artist and art receiver. Production of visual art is a form of expression of emotions. Art reception involves the initiation of a cascade of emotions and thoughts based on visual input. One of the ways to express artistic content is through abstraction. Abstract visual art is based on portraying elements that do not represent any real, objective shapes, with the means of lines, colours, tones and texture. Abstract expressionism is a form of abstract art infused with strong emotional and expressive content. The combination of expression of emotions in abstraction requires almost direct translation between neuronal function and artistic output without using formal shapes or references as means of communication. That is why it is very interesting to look at the artistic output in abstract expressionists with neurological disorders affecting the brain. Here, we review several key abstract expressionists, including James Brooks, Agnes Martin and Willem de Kooning, and their artistic production in the context of brain disease.
© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel
Visual art is one of the means of non-verbal communication that bypasses cultural, societal, language and, more importantly, time differences. It allows for establishing a multilevel connection between the artist and art receiver. The production of visual art is a form of expression of emotions. Art reception involves the initiation of a cascade of emotions and thoughts based on visual input. One of the ways to express artistic content is through abstraction. Abstract visual art is based on portraying elements not representing any real, objective shapes, with the means of lines, colours, tones and texture. Abstract expressionism is a form of abstract art infused with strong emotional and expressive content. The combination of expression of emotions in abstraction requires almost direct translation between neuronal function and artistic output without using formal shapes or references as a means of communication. That is why it is very interesting to look at the