The Realms of the Unreal

Yesterday I stopped by the Edlin gallery for the opening of the Henry Darger exhibit. 

I was delighted to discover this artist and learn more about his work. His life was rather solitary, having spent years in a boys catholic home and an asylum before running away at the age of 17. Later, he worked as a janitor at a hospital in Chicago. 

With no formal training, Darger explored the realms of the unreal, depicting stories of supernatural young girls with horns, tails, and male organs. These creatures seem rather innocent as they battle for their lives and defend themselves from torture and death, but if you look closely there's a deeper message to capture.  There is a clear tension between the peaceful settings and the hybrid children who experience horrific violence.  

Darger's watercolors are one of a kind fantasy depictions that became disseminated posthumously. Some are rather large in scale and resemble Japanese scrolls. Of these, some are double sided, which allows you to see the back colors and shapes reflecting through. I like the use of mixed media in his work. In some paintings he used newspaper cutouts and in many he outlined his figures in pencil. He often wrote messages that help us decipher the story. 

It's a journey of the imagination that I highly recommend. You can check out this exhibit at the Edlin gallery until October 23. His work is also found at the Museum of Modern Art and the American Folk Art Museum in New York.  

The indie rock band The Vivian Girls performing at the gallery!