In the February edition of Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International – Dr Tim McInerny, Pictures Editor, BJPsych International introduces Albert, the artist whose portrait is on the cover of the February 2023 issue of BJPsych International.

Cover Artwork: Albert

As pictures editor, I selected Albert’s art for the February cover because of his compelling, enigmatic drawings of architectural structures and geometrical spaces, created from his own imagination and his experience of psychiatric hospital care.

Albert began to draw during his years spent in hospital, working mainly with pen and pencil. He has said that these drawings act as a kind of meditation and a means of escaping boredom. Albert feels ‘connected’ and ‘whole’ when he works on the drawings, repeating hundreds of pencil strokes with a focused obsessive precision.

Albert’s large-scale pencil drawings depict visions of imaginary buildings, homes, fences and structures. His unique style and talent has been recognised and praised by Outsider Art collectors and institutions across Europe, with his work now existing in public collections such as Pallant House Gallery, The Bethlem Museum, ABCD Collection Paris, and the Museum of Everything. He is represented by Henry Boxer Gallery and Bethlem Gallery.

Albert states – “I like to work with my hands. I’ve drawn for years, on and off, even as a child I was always scribbling something but I didn’t take it seriously until I came to the Bethlem Hospital where I was encouraged by the staff to take it further. Whilst I draw I imagine the building being constructed in brick and brought to life”.

Albert explains that the first transfer of the image from imagination to paper must be performed quickly so as not to lose it, but then perfecting the work can take days, even weeks. He has experimented with colour but mainly prefers monochrome.  He states the images are not about incarceration or containment, as some commentators have suggested, nor do they symbolise release from confinement. Albert says that if they represent anything, it is ideal places – places that he would like to live in and that he imagines others inhabiting. He adds that privacy and safety may be other elements that the designs evoke for him; the walls and fences are protective rather than restricting.

Albert is proud to have his work on the cover of BJPsych International.

https://bethlemgallery.com/artists/albert/.

Welcome to Muses – the arts blog from  BJPsych International.  Launched in March 2022, this new blog aims to highlight international art and artists, particularly from low-and-middle-income countries, with a focus on mental health. We welcome submissions for consideration, such as, comments on artwork, visual arts, literature, drama, films, podcasts, and videos. Do have a look at the instructions for blog authors for details on how to submit. General enquiries about the blog: BJPInternational@rcpsych.ac.uk  

Professor David Skuse, Editor-in-Chief, BJPsych International