Pain & Art...

It is often said that “tortured artists” produce the best artwork... The link between mental (and sometimes physical) anguish and creativity originated with the ancient Greeks and the philosophical school of thought inspired by Socrates. With time, this idea developed and finally this stereotype was firmly rooted in the minds of people everywhere. The reason for my sudden fascination with pain is related to the fact that my wisdom teeth are being removed this week, so accordingly I decided to investigate this age old link between art and pain.

Surprisingly, it appears that the subject is quite popular and tends to branch into two main concepts – using pain as a source of inspiration for artists and utilizing art to physically represent the pain of chronic pain sufferers. To learn more about the latter, go to http://www.painexhibit.com/. The other concept involves the age old beliefs regarding artists and pain.

When I initially looked into this perception, I found that the dominant opinion* was firmly against the stereotype. The concept is largely considered to be extremely damaging and disrespectful towards artists all over the world and even though I am inclined to agree, history also shows us that pain can be a powerful force of inspiration in art.

 

Many well-known artists have used pain in a variety of ways for their work – such as a source of inspiration or even simply as a powerful theme for a specific artwork. A popular example is of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, who is especially famous for the many self-portraits she painted. These artworks depicted vividly her personal struggles which included numerous health problems as well as a stormy marriage to Diego Rivera. 

The Spanish artist Pablo Picasso made use of pain and suffering in order to bring his message across regarding the bombing of the town of Guernica by the Nazi’s during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. Picasso uses images of severe pain and suffering to illustrate the devastation of this tragic event**.

There are many more examples illustrating the relationship between art and pain but regarding this subject, I tend to agree with Michelangelo when he said: “A beautiful thing never gives so much pain as does failing to hear and see it.”

Blessings,

Mel

* On the Internet at least.

** Interpretations of the painting’s meaning vary.

Sources:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/michelange183559.html

http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2008/01/frida_kahlos_life_of_pain.php

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/pain-as-an-art-form/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity_and_mental_illness

http://www.fridakahlo.com/?f1174318

http://eleni-media.blogspot.com/2010/04/this-painting-is-one-of-famous-painting.html

Further Reading:

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-tortured-artists.php

http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/later.html

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/new-biography-argues-van-gogh-did-not-kill-himself/

Featured Images:

The Broken Column

Frida Kahlo

1944

Oil on Canvas

43.2 x 33cm

http://jerzygirl45.wordpress.com/art-gallery/frida-kahlo/

Las dos Fridas (The two Fridas)

Frida Khalo

1939

Oil on Canvas

173.4 x 172.7 cm

http://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/work/57/index.html

Guernica

Pablo Picasso

1937

3.5 x 7.8m

http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp