Ever look at a piece of art (like perhaps Damien Hurst's diamond-crusted skull - see earlier posting) and think "That artist is an absolute whack job!" ? In some cases, maybe he/she really ***is*** living in a different reality than you or me...
Would psychiatric treatment have given some troubled artists even more room to expand their artistic genius? Or would a happier life have stifled their creativity?
That's the tantalizing premise of this article in the Montreal Gazette.
Although it spotlights the complicated and convoluted lives of the well-known composers Schumann and Tchaikovsky, the article's premise could apply equally well to visual artists. My one complaint -- and frankly, it's not a minor one-- is that the discussion later segues into a discussion of sexual identity in music.
Introducing the topic of Schumann and Tchaikovsky's reported homosexuality into a unrelated talk of the composers' psychological ailments -- and meds -- is unwarranted and smacks of homophobia. (Even when purportedly done in conjunction with coverage of a performance spotlighting works of homosexual artists.)
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