The Merit of Art Brut–
Henry Darger's 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
& The Philadelphia Wireman's Untitled found Sculptures
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By Jason Conrad Llaguno, 2/22/2018
ne defining factors that specifies the line between mere creation and art is its intention. Many pieces are created with a clear definition and purpose while others are left in an air of ambiguity, leaving a piece to teeter on the outer edges of art. The concept of Outsider art perfectly exemplifies this ambiguity due to the mystery that often surrounds the culture. This barrier can be derived from a child’s inability of comprehension, the inability to verbally express mental illness, or (most commonly) the lack of known motives in posthumously found art. Pieces such as Henry Darger’s 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 and the found-item sculptures from the unknown Philadelphia Wireman embody the obscurity of outsider art. Darger’s death embellishes his extravagant story with mysteries from beyond the grave
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while the wire sculptures are shrouded in cryptic details due to its unknown origin and creator. The reasons behind the pieces (besides aesthetic value) cannot be determined and are only subject to speculations based off historical backgrounds or shallow association. These pieces push the boundaries of expression and the art world’s attempt to categorize things are
seemingly uncategorizeable. It is “artists” like Darger and the Philadelphia Wireman who allow for the essential questioning of the art world due to their lack of known intention. Through these doubts, we are led to question the purpose of things in the world around us, as well as our own underlying intentions for living, being, and doing the things we do.
Henry Darger’s conceived and manifested his own private world over six decades through 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. The 15,145 pages of illustrations and narratives are riddled with clues from Darger’s upbringing and ideologies, drawing from a strong catholic background and strange (yet, endearing) fascinations with adolescence. For years he tailored these incoherent stories in private, including illustrations that stretched to as long as thirty feet. The story follows seven daughters/princess he coins the “Vivian Girls” as they combat child slavery and the tyrannical John Manley and the Glandelinians in the Christian nation of Abbieannia. Darger outlines the struggles, victories, and leisure time
of the Vivian Girls through beautifully disturbing images of torture, death, and child nudity through some androgynous caricatures of little girls with either a penis or a vagina. He included a fantastical universe that involves earth, as well as deity-like creatures (Blengigomeneans), and characters that may have reflected Darger himself. He creates intricate water-color landscapes and characters through the tracing, copying, and pasting of figures derived from magazines and coloring books. This form of remix contributes to the haunting nature of the fantasy world and its illustrations, giving way to a cartoon-like perception of reality. The dedication required to complete an enigmatic project like this in secret is paralleled by few and often lost in our contemporary, commercial art world.
Another piece that is presented with just as much extravagance and probably more mystery is that of the Philadelphia Wireman. Approximately 1,200 small-scale sculptures were mysterious found outside a transient home in Philadelphia without any description evidence of a potential creator. These strange amalgamations are primarily comprised of seemingly found objects bound together with wire and other materials. Though similar in size, each one differs in its form. Speculations of the creator’s background have been made with no real confirmation. The discarded nature of these pieces are said to be due to the death of their creator. It is said that the maker would most-likely be a man due to the strength required to bend and morph the object. The quality and shapes of the sculptures are reminiscent of religious artifacts that can be found in African or Native culture. However true these statements may be, the lack of knowledge the world has on the infamous Philadelphia Wireman places the sculptures in a haze of blissful confusion.
Though an artist may be known for the former piece, the enigma that surrounds the two posthumously found art remains a backdrop when studying their origin and meaning. The monomaniacal nature of both Darger’s 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 and the Philadelphia Wireman’s sculptures characterize both pieces as reflections of an obsessive human mind. It begs the question as to “why someone would do this?” Though the answers may never be known, a viewer is invited to conjure stories of potential characters and background, even to the extent of putting oneself in the “artist’s” place. The lack of reason with each piece exemplifies man’s inability to truly connect with one’s motives thus playing with concepts of
subjective interpretation. These works of Outside art mimics the value that is placed on ancient art thought to be derived from early man. It may forever be unknown whether the pieces were ever meant to be found or displayed for public view contributing another reason as to why it is so difficult to decisively define the prolific pieces as art. Whether it be religious/spiritual motives, explorations of one personal psyche, or even for the pure joy consequent of making art, these ideas are merely second-hand interpretations of intentions that will forever be lost the minds of the dead.