Approaching the creative works of people who have experienced mental illness

Historically, the creative works of people with a mental illness were often misused as objects of curiosity and amusement. However, during the course of the twentieth century there was an increasing appreciation of the therapeutic value of art and recognition that the creative works of people with mental illnesses can offer invaluable insights into their inner experiences. At the same time there was also a growing appreciation of the artistic merit of art by people with mental illness. However, although these developments have attributed greater value to the creative works of people with mental illness, they have also led to certain preconceptions about the works.

When these works were created in the context of treatment and viewed with a clinical emphasis, they tended to be given the status of clinical records. Such an approach would focus on the possible underlying meaning of the works and the symptoms of mental illness that they might convey. Notwithstanding the educational value of this approach there is a risk of pathologising and devaluing what is undoubtedly a creative act.

In viewing these works as art the focus shifts to artistic skill and aesthetic merit. While this approach rightly highlights the creative abilities of people with mental illness, there is however, a risk of the works being treated as commodities or excessively valorised with less attention given to the experiences of the creator of the work and what they may have been trying to express or communicate.

The Cunningham Dax Collection considers the creative works of people who have experienced mental illness to have aspects of both a ‘clinical record' and ‘art'. The Collection believes that the emphasis on the status of each work as either clinical record or art should be determined by the wishes and views of its creator. This is, however, often not known. The creator's views were often not recorded, and in many instances, the name of the creator is not known as the works were not signed. The Cunningham Dax Collection adopts the view that the status of each work may then be informed by what is known about the context of its creation.

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Approaching the works in the Collection

There are generally two group of works in the Cunningham Dax Collection. The first group consists of works that were created by patients in special clinical art programs while they were being treated in hospitals from the late 1940s to 1970s. These patients were encouraged to draw and paint freely, without instructions, in order to help their psychiatrists understand their subjective experience of their mental illness. The works acquired the status of medical records and were kept with the patients' written records. As a result of this status, confidentiality is upheld in displaying these works and attribution is not displayed.

A number of these works are by patients known to have had some art training and the majority of these works are signed and titled. However, most of the works, which were created by individuals with no prior art training, are not signed or given a title by their creators, suggesting that perhaps the patients themselves may have viewed them more as therapy or as a piece of information to assist in their clinical treatment rather than as art.

The second group consists of works created by the artists in non-clinical programs (eg. community art programs) or private settings. These works often appear to be less spontaneous, with greater attention given by their creators to aesthetic and conceptual issues. They are usually signed, dated and titled, and are considered primarily as art. Many of the works in the Collection from the 1980s onwards are of this category and are gifts from the artists or their families.

The Cunningham Dax Collection considers the first group as “therapeutic art” and views them with a primarily clinical emphasis. Artistic merit may be considered with other aspects of the work. The second group of works is viewed primarily as art with clinical considerations being considered with other aspects of the work.

While it may be argued as to whether a work has the status of ‘therapeutic art' or simply as art, it is clear that behind each work is the life and experience of a person. The Collection urges viewers therefore, to treat these works with respect and sensitivity. Viewers should regard the works as giving them a privileged insight into the world of people suffering from mental illnesses and should not diminish their creative efforts by treating the works as bizarre or simply as a source of fascination.

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Ethical considerations

People suffering from mental illness and/or psychological trauma often feel vulnerable and disempowered. They are often not in a position to have a say about how they want to be understood and treated. It is, therefore, important that steps are taken to ensure that their creative efforts are not misused and are approached with careful ethical consideration.

The following are the principles that guide the policies of the Collection:

1. The Collection considers creative works as multi-faceted. They may be viewed as part of the clinical record, as artworks, historical artefact and/ or educational material.

2. The relative emphasis placed on each facet of a work is informed, firstly, by what is understood about the intention of its creator. If this is not known, it is then inferred by what is known about the context of its creation.

3. The Collection endeavours to display the creative works with sensitivity and respect as they are not just ‘objects', but embody the experience and history of individuals.

4. The Collection also seeks to remind all viewers to approach these works with sensitivity and respect.

5. The Collection only publishes the works for the purpose of education and without profit.

6. In all publications, the Collection respects the individual rights of the creators with regard to copyright and moral rights and is governed by the Copyright Act 1968 [Cth], Health Records Act 2001 [Vic], and Privacy Act 1988 [Cth].

7. The creator of each work reserves the right to decide if authorship is to be acknowledged and the extent to which personal information is to be revealed in all displays and publications.

8. Where the intention of the creator of a work cannot be ascertained, the Collection carefully considers ethical issues before displaying that work.

9 Where the intention of the creator of a work cannot be ascertained, and the Collection decides to display a work on the basis of ‘the greater good' of the general community, it strives to minimise the risk of the individual being harmed as a result of the display.

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