Aestheticization of mental pathology as an artistic phenomenon (by case study of the works of Egon Schiele and Hans Bellmer)

The article reviews the formation of aesthetics of hysteria in the works of the Austrian artist Egon Schiele and the German graphic artist, sculptor and photographer Hans Bellmer. The influence of artists on the modern art is studied. The concepts of “norm” and “pathology” are analysed in the context of contemporary art. The relevance of this study is determined by the increasing interest of art in psychological pathology. The article reviews the phenomenon of aestheticization of mental pathology as a way of cultural and philosophical self-expression for artists, while in modern culture aesthetics beyond the norms is considered to be a sign of postmodernism. The surrealistic aesthetics of “abnormality”, ugliness becomes a prerequisite for a new norm reflected in current trends of body positive, body modification and scarification. This in turn eliminates the distinctions between “norm” and “anti-norm”, high art and everyday life.