Whatever you think of the term “outsider art” (it’s a fraught one), there’s no doubt that Henry Darger is the consummate outsider.
A recluse in his Chicago apartment, Darger (1892-1973) spent his life writing and illustrating an original epic adventure titled “The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion.” The confluence of sheer visual genius, galaxy-sized ambition and wacked-out imagination doesn’t happen often, and in Darger’s case its lucky that his paintings even came to light.
Those interested in any of the above could definitely spend a productive hour or two scoping out Darger’s work online (it is well-represented). For those who develop a deeper interest, Klaus Biesenbach’s book of scholarly essays and biography and key texts will be one to add to the book list.
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Wow! This is really neat, but then again I’m an art history nerd. My friend mentioned Darger the other day but I totally forgot about it until now. Thanks for the reminder.
This is not a scholarly note but a hard-to-resist subtextual observation – Darger’s landlord, besides obliviously harboring the Picasso of Outsider Art, was also the inventor of the Bear-shaped Honey Squeeze bottle.
His work is displayed consistently at the Folk Art Museum in NYC.I don’t know if he’s the Picasso of Outsider Art, his themes were pretty consistent, serialized almost, but this tidbit about the honey bear is a treasure.
I like to keep shampoo in mine…and they will always make me think of “cleaning products” and Brad Pitt using one as a bong.
don’t forget about the documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSzzirIP0No