"Art and Mental Illness"

Transcript
Page 1. Panel 1. The World On A String. Volume 4 Number 3. CC BY-SA Ken Alleman 2020. Narration reads, "It's fascinating to see how different artists portray mental illness." Panel 2. A dizzying series of concentric circles. Art based on the cover of the novel The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Narration reads, "Some see it as a bell jar that suffocates and traps them." Panel 3. A brick wall. Art based on the cover of the album The Wall by Pink Floyd. Narration reads, "Others see it as a wall between them and the world." Panel 4. Flames rising from between fingers. Art based on the cover of the comic book The Fire Never Goes Out by N.D. Stevenson. Narration reads, "Others yet see it as a fire inside, driving them and burning them up at the same time." Caption box at the bottom reads, "Panel 2 based on cover art for The Bell Jar by Shirley Tucker, 1966. Panel 3 based on cover art for Pink Floyd: The Wall by Gerald Scarfe. Panel 4 based on cover art for The Fire Never Goes Out by N.D. Stevenson, 2020. Traced for reproduction for purposes of education and commentary."

Page 2. Panels 1 through 3. Fragmented shots of trees, lawns, sidewalks. Narration reads, "For me, it's kind of like losing your way. You strain to spot things that look familiar. Everything kind of does, but everything kind of doesn't. You've lost all sense of the difference." Panel 4. The complete picture of a park on a street corner. Narration reads, "Whatever it may be, conceptualizing mental illness in art is a valuable skill. It's a defense mechanism. A way of looking from a safe distance. Of seeing the way home."

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