[Creative works of the mentally ill as a problem for art (author's transl)]

The article "Creative Works of the Mentally Ill as a Problem for Art" attempts to analyse this complex field from a more art-theoretical viewpoint. In addition to the difficulties involved in identifying the causing factors of schizophrenia there is the problem of not having a uniform definition of art. Wölfli's example substantiates the evidence that the artistic works of the mentally ill display the same characteristics as far as creativity is concerned as those of mentally healthy artists and hence there is no reason for disqualifying their works. Some artists who had already achieved general recognition did not lose it after becoming afflicted with mental illness later in their lives. Does this mean that recognition depends on social status and not on the work itself?