Man in the Clouds

This initial series of experimental collborative artworks that aimed to research and explore the connectiions in art making between a trained academic artist (Dr. Phil Edwards)and an untrained artist who has recovering from bi-polar depression. ( Wesley Bagilin). Baglins work previously has been collected by the Cunningham- Dax collection. The exhibition sought to explore how art making processess can be used to both help with the recovery from depressionas an illness and to explore the boundaries of academic Fine Art in that process. It was significant in that professionals from St. Vincents psychiatric center attended the exhibition and that Baglin was able to use the experience in his advocacy role at St. Vincents while I was able to use the works as a new reference for teaching aspects of collaboration in relation to outsider art making in an academic environment. This project is of signifigance in its research potential in developing an understanding of how some types of depression may benefit from a close collaboartion with professional art practitioners. It issignifigant in that it was the first of a planned series of collaborative exhibitions to be developed with St. Vincents Hospital pyschiatric unit.