The Story of Native Art

Author: Hong Mizhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: The Other Side of Art – Unveiling the Mystery of "Art Brut"
Victor Hugo, the renowned French writer and poet, left behind 79 volumes of literary works and over 4,000 paintings for future generations. Pierre Jolliet called him an "uncompelled painter," while the Taiwanese writer and artist Hong Mizhen, in her book The Story of Art Brut, referred to him as a "precursor of the psychic painter," a fact little known to the public. In reality, Hugo not only painted for his entire life but could even be said to have pursued his artistic career in parallel with his writing. For a long time, he was also known as a master of the paranormal. When he painted, he allowed supernatural forces to guide him into a trance-like state, spontaneously applying ink to paper or folding and pressing the paper to create symmetrical patterns, followed by sketching with a brush to produce a chaotic, dreamlike landscape filled with a mysterious and eerie aura. This is just one small story from The Story of Art Brut, recently published by Hebei Education Press, where the author takes us on a journey through the more magical aspects of the art world.
The book tells the stories of the mentally ill Adolf W?lfli, whose 30-year career of was driven by madness; the rose lover Arlette, whose hopeless single-minded love was a tragedy; the avant-garde artist Müller, whose living sculptures pioneered modern art; the farmer Auguste, who was obsessed with trains and created wooden carvings; John Hauser, whose slow-developing mind and vivid imagination led him to create pencil drawings of naked women; Chudna, whose slow movements and extreme frugality were reflected in his magic lines; the medium Raphael Lounet, whose subconscious tales were filled with the bizarre; the dark, enchanting Mache Gil, whose paintings and embroidery depicted elegant women; the detached Meissonier, who created shell masks that seemed to mock the world; the street performer Scott, whose fish-and-bird world was a whimsical creation; Philip de Her, inspired by dried potatoes; and the secret novelist Henry Darger, whose long, unfinished novel The Unreal Kingdom and thousands of large watercolor works were only discovered after his death.
The artists in the book, whether due to illness, family upheaval, intense love, or even as simple as stubbing their toe on a small stone on the road, suddenly developed a desire to create and began to produce art in a "primitive" state. "Art Brut" may be unfamiliar to many, but most are familiar with its origins in primitive cave paintings and large rock art, as well as spontaneous art. In the early stages of civilization, artistic creation had not yet reached a conscious stage, and the unconscious, subconscious creations left us a precious cultural heritage. Art is not just for the elite; it is universal. The Story of Art Brut begins with primitive art and the efforts of Jean Dubuffet, the creator of the term "Art Brut," to explore this alternative art form.
Jean Dubuffet, a Frenchman who ran a wine business, studied at the prestigious Julian Academy in his youth and was closely connected to the Surrealist circle. When his career began to stabilize, the mental panic brought by World War II led him to pick up his brush again. He unexpectedly discovered in children's drawings a kind of figurative art that seemed to carry an unspeakable power and something new, which set him on a journey of exploration. Starting with Prinzhorn's Art of the Mentally Ill, he visited several psychiatric hospitals and their collections, deeply moved by the works of the mentally ill. He published Notes on Art Brut, founded the House of Art Brut, which soon ended, then established the Association of Art Brut, which dissolved and was reborn, organized exhibitions of Art Brut, defended it, and founded the Museum of Art Brut.
After long observation and reflection, Dubuffet gradually formed and refined his definition of Art Brut: "Art Brut includes various types of works—sketches, paintings, embroidery, handcrafted sculptures, small statues, and more. It is characterized by spontaneity and strong creativity, relying as little as possible on the clichés of traditional art and culture, and the artists are all unknown and have no connection to the professional art world." Reading The Story of Art Brut, one can clearly feel its strong characteristics: first, the author does not fabricate these stories out of thin air or merely from books and historical records. She has lived in Europe for many years, visiting and photographing Art Brut collections, and a significant portion of the materials and images in the book are her own interviews and photographs. As a result, the book is not dull but rather vivid and engaging; second, the layout has been carefully designed to showcase the details of the artworks. With over 400 images and nearly 100,000 words condensed into less than 300 pages, it requires considerable effort to achieve this. More importantly, the details of the images are incredibly captivating and deeply moving, fully demonstrating the creative charm of "Art Brut."
Therefore, when carefully appreciating these works, one cannot help but be amazed by their powerful impact and inspired to reflect on life. On the other side of art, Art Brut quietly exists and develops, seeking not attention but the pursuit of self-art in life. Is this not the more authentic side of art? In contrast, Western artists pay more attention to Art Brut, reflecting their deeper and broader understanding of human art. In fact, some modern Western art masters, when establishing their own schools, also emphasized the role of the unconscious and subconscious in creation. The diversity and mystery of art have deeper roots.