My Eyes in the Time of Apparition 1913

Curator: Here we have August Natterer’s, "My Eyes in the Time of Apparition" created in 1913 using watercolor and colored pencil on paper. Editor: Two eyes, starkly staring out… they remind me of anatomical drawings, yet the color palette gives them an almost dreamlike quality. Eerie, but fascinating. Curator: Natterer was a German artist and psychiatric patient who experienced intense hallucinations and visions, which deeply influenced his artistic output. The imagery here is rather fascinating if you consider how society often marginalized the voices and creative expressions of those deemed mentally ill during that period. Outsider art offers raw, unfiltered perspectives. Editor: Yes, this definitely vibrates with the unvarnished energy of outsider art! It’s unsettling how these meticulously rendered irises become alien landscapes, or portals into some… otherworldly state? The detail is arresting; it demands your attention. And, wow, is it disturbing when you recognize them as eyes… eyes with agency. Curator: Consider that Natterer believed these drawings depicted the cosmic events he was witnessing, claiming they possessed the power to reveal deeper truths. This perspective highlights the complexities of interpreting mental health through artistic expressions; it urges viewers to engage empathetically with different modes of perception, beyond societal constructs. Editor: Empathy’s key here, isn't it? It’s an invitation to consider alternate realities. I imagine him seeing these eyes, feeling utterly convinced of their reality, channeling this with such striking precision…it’s a haunting meditation on the nature of seeing, perception, and belief itself. The title says "Apparition"... so we ask, whose apparition are we looking at? Is that us? Curator: And so Natterer, through these “apparitions” subverts art's traditional purpose: it critiques established notions of sanity and creative validity in the history of psychiatric art and image-making. It's no wonder this imagery has permeated public consciousness; its visceral rawness challenges conventional artistic value. Editor: These eyes feel incredibly intimate yet distant at the same time. Maybe the real artistry here isn’t just the skill, but the invitation to see the world, at least for a moment, through a lens radically different than our own. Curator: Indeed, this drawing pushes the very boundaries of artistic merit, altering preconceived perspectives on mental health, which could have public policy implications. Editor: This work definitely keeps watching me, compelling my reflection. It dares me to acknowledge and accept that reality may consist of numerous ways to see what we think, believe, or become.