Migraine: Like a Hatchet to the Forehead [VIDEO]

Serendipity Makes it Possible

Two serendipitous happenings made the video below possible. One gave me the technical ability to make the video. That was the receiving of a sweet little tripod for my iPhone from my wife for Christmas. The other was the inspiration I received from the Jean Dubuffet exhibit at the Morgan Library and Museum in NYC.

I suppose you could say there is a third factor: I have a migraine today. If you spend any time poking around on this website you will see that I often make art when I have a migraine. It’s my way of fighting back, as I explained in the post, “Why I Make Migraine Art.” Also, my Galleries Page lists several migraine art galleries which are posted on the website.

The Art of Jean Dubuffet

While my wife and I primarily went to the Morgan to see the Martin Luther and the Charlotte Brontë exhibits, we were highly impressed by the Dubuffet art on display. As serendipity would have it, we walked out of the Martin Luther exhibit because it was too crowded with a group tour taking place. Across the hall we found the Dubuffet exhibit and said, “Sure. Let’s walk around in there to kill some time.”

We didn’t look at more than a dozen drawings before my wife looked at me and said, “This guy’s drawings are weird like yours!” I took that as a compliment. It was also noted on the gallery description that Dubuffet’s drawings were similar to those of mental patients. Maybe that’s the connection between his art and mine. I don’t think for a second that anything I’ve done can compare to Dubuffet’s at all. But the more I looked at his stuff the more inspired I felt.

Scratch That

Among the varied techniques that Dubuffet used was scratching. He would paint on paper or what have you, then scratch drawings into it. I’ve used that technique a time or two. (I’ve also spit on ink and smeared it, used my fingers to paint or smudge pastels, and painted with blood. See below.) Today I thought I’d give scratching a try.