reading a book about Harvey Darger, "a reclusive American writer and artist who worked as a custodian in Chicago, Illinois. He has become famous for his posthumously discovered 15,145-page, single-spaced fantasy manuscript called The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, along with several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings illustrating the story. The visual subject matter of his work ranges from idyllic scenes in Edwardian interiors and tranquil flowered landscapes populated by children and fantastic creatures, to scenes of horrific terror and carnage depicting young children being tortured and massacred. Much of his artwork is mixed media with collage elements. Darger's artwork has become one of the most celebrated examples of outsider art."
The book is a quasi biography/interpretation about the misconception/suspicion that Darger was either a serial killer/pediophile/sociopath.. the book just shows a sad lonely closeted homosexual during a very repressive and depressing chicago existence. There's something about people who create art for arts sake and don't have any desire for fame appeals to me.
Gotta love Nick Blinko
(http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_liwcjwKU321qasd4l.jpg)
When I was in NYC I went to the American Folk Art Museum and they had an installation on Henry Darger, so fascinating.
fuck yeah on the blinko... picked up his book and was meaning to read it. also trying to get some ink of his, just gotta find the right one.
and yeah, i wanna see that exhibit. i read about it today
Did you hear about Vivian Meyer? She worked as a nanny in the mid 1900s, but was always taking photos.
In 2007-ish a person bought the contents of a Chicago storage locker. It had 150,000 photographic negatives from the 1930's to 1970's.
(http://www.berkeleyside.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Maier-Bike-525.jpg)
(http://erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/VM19XXW04205-09-MC-660x660.jpg)
I studied a course on outsider art from a psychoanalytical perspective.
Since then I've hated the term.
:(
The documentary on Vivian Meyer was one of the most compelling docs I've watched in years.