Isolation: a unique form of artistic liberation Isabel Raper (IH L6) Over the last year, much of the world has ground to a halt. We have all drifted between national lockdowns, enduring periodic episodes of self-isolation, forever two metres apart from everyone but those we live with. We connected with one another whilst either shielded by a mask or the screen of a laptop. For a species in which social interaction is woven into the very fabric of our existence, the last year has been an extraordinary test of the limitations of the human psyche when separated from its counterparts. We learnt to live as solitary creatures, not by choice or habit, but by force. Everyone has had it hard, but our creative industries thrive on the interaction between creators and audience, and Covid-19 posed a completely unforeseen threat to that relationship. Theatres and art galleries were among the first to close back in March last year, and the arts have taken hit after hit since then. It’s been hard to watch as exhibitions have been cancelled, galleries boarded up and theatres have gone dark. Until we emerge from some form of final national lockdown, it will be hard to truly gauge the long-term damage that Covid-19 has caused to the arts. For millions of creatives, the onus was on them to adapt their creative process to working in a way that they had never had to before. Of course, alongside the technical difficulties of trying to create in their homes, the true struggle was finding creative stimulus. We all understand too well how monotonous lockdown life can be, and so trying to find sources of inspiration is an ongoing battle. However, perhaps there is room for optimism. I wanted to explore whether any artists had also worked through periods of isolation in the past, to see if perhaps there was anything to take away from their experiences to give us some hope. The process of isolation is one that most of us encounter, to varying degrees, at some point in our lives – maybe it’s about how we react. Van Gogh was put into isolation in the asylum of Saint-Paule-de-Mausole in 1889 for just under a year after mutilating his ear. In his younger years, Van Gogh spent much time travelling between France, London and Amsterdam. While confronted by the disapproval of his career choice from his parents, Van Gogh remained a liberated spirit, roaming around Europe seeking inspiration as well as exploring his faith. Living in vibrant cities, he was inspired by the work of his impressionist contemporaries. After a number of years, he moved back to the south of France and spent time with fellow artist, Gauguin. However, Van Gogh was plagued by a range of psychiatric illnesses throughout his life: whilst the diagnosis is unknown it is thought he suffered from bipolar disorder. The true deterioration of his mental health began after he cut off his own ear following a heated row with Gauguin. Having been voluntarily hospitalised after multiple manic episodes, Van Gogh spent a year in a psychiatric unit. Entirely disconnected from the outside artistic community, it was thought the artist’s health began to improve as he spent much time outdoors painting. He did, however, begin to grow tired of his isolation, his health too began to worsen and he became increasingly unstable. And yet, this period of solitude at Saint-Paule-de-Mausole facilitated an extraordinary growth in Van Gogh as a painter. Separated from the frantic art circles of Paris, he turned into himself, exploring new styles of painting. In a letter to his sister he wrote (of his isolation), ‘sometimes was hard to bear as exile’ but it was crucial ‘if we want to work.’ It is thought that while in isolation, Van Gogh painted around 150 paintings, and it is here we begin to see that style of painting so unique to Van Gogh emerge. His use of colour, his idiosyncratic bold and unconventional mark-making. By being freed from the confines of the artistic groups he used to circulate between, Van Gogh produced some of his most notable pieces: A Starry Night, The Olive Trees and Hospital in Saint-Remy. Confined to the garden of the hospital, he became entranced by nature and through often long periods of undisturbed painting, the Van Gogh the world grew to love began to reveal himself.
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