Intro into Occupy White Walls
I started learning about different artists through the steam game, “Occupy White Walls.” It is a gallery simulator, and the player can focus on architect, as well as famous pieces of artwork. You can also spend a few dollars and put your own artwork in the game, your pieces of art can hang beside Vincent Van Gogh, for example. This is not a sponsor or ad by the way 😉 Just my thoughts and views on the game. Anyway!
If you look at a piece of art you can zoom up onto it and you can read the detail about the piece of art such as the artists name, the year it was created, and the description of the piece. You can also hyper focus on the piece of art and look at it up close to see the paint strokes and detail. Their ai(artificial intelligent) bot, also picks out pieces of art you have a like towards whether it is the pieces you are looking at, or the favorites, or most zoomed in pieces. Gives you a variety of art based on your preferences.
Mentioning of Louis Wain
Of course I have a fascination with anthropomorphism (giving human characteristics to objects that are not human) In previous pieces of art I have created anthropomorphic characteristics in cats. Which is what caught my interest in Louis Wain, in “Occupy White Walls”. Since my grandparents were born in the 1920’s I think back to my childhood and perhaps would of come across this artists previously, but didn’t put it into my conscious until now. Isn’t that funny when that happens? It might of inspired my previous pieces of artwork without even me knowing it.
Learning about Louis Wain
Louis Wain (1860-1930) was an English artists specifically based off of his anthropomorphic cats and kittens. Later in his life developed mental illness and was institutionalized. Eventually passed way in the mental hospital. In the book, “Louis Wain and Asperger’s Syndrome” There is controversy on whether he suffered from schizophrenia, or had Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) The controversy in the book [Louis Wain and Asperger’s Syndrome] suggests that the reasoning behind that it probably wasn’t Schizophrenia is because his art techniques did not deteriorate as most examples of people with schizophrenia exhibit. His art became more abstract, but the deterioration or technique of his art did not decrease. In further research almost all articles or books show that is schizophrenia.
Noted from “Louis Wain: his life, his art, and his mental illness” It seems as though his artwork for cats had started in the time frame of his wife being terminally ill with cancer. They had a pet cat named Peter. So Louis began to draw Peter continuously, and it started the beginning of his desire to draw cats.
Examples of Louis Wain’s artwork
Louis Wain’s Artwork and It’s Transformation
Chronological order is unknown
Summary
Through my recent discovery of Louis Wain through “Occupy White Walls”. Through my thirty years of life. Finally starting to connect similar artists to my own personal taste. Talked about in past blog posts on social media about issues with identity. The more I start to learn about different artists the more I start to belong somewhere. Think that is the point of learning about different artists and their artistic styles. Because the viewer starts to learn about the specific artist stories, their techniques, and about their lives. So the viewer is able to implement their styles into their own artwork and their own creations.
As for Louis Wain, I adore his capability of being able to capture the innocence of an anthropomorphic character in cats. His ability to capture human emotions through his art (If the assumption of his disorder actually being ASD, and not schizophrenia.) Perhaps he was drawing his artwork to be able to connect moods to imagery, because he was unable to connect with them in real life.
(If you think it leans more into schizophrenia please leave a comment below and support of why you think it is that way)