Kurelek’s tortured youth

Kurelek's "The Maze"

Write-up for an interdisciplinary arts course on outsider art and William Kurelek.

William Kurelek isn’t a typical “outsider artist,” in that he studied art at two colleges, one in Canada and one in Mexico. However, he is known for the works that he did while in a psychiatric hospital in London, including his most famous, “The Maze.” Kurelek produced numerous works in the hospital, and he went on to create more art once he left. “The Maze” is a stunning painting that immediately evokes grim emotion with sharp lines and bleaks colors, a smooth, cool texture, and a close arrangement of frightening forms that incites claustrophobia.

Thin lines that are often parallel or perpendicular promote a feeling at first that the image is of a maze, which probably explains the painting’s title. Various, unsettling forms in the painting are crisply defined with lines and differing shades of brown and blue that keep the tone dark. Overall, the painting seems to have a smooth texture, although the general image itself looks three-dimensional, as if one could reach into the alcoves and touch the creepy objects. Lastly, all of the objects are incredibly close together, promoting a stifling feeling. Even the portion that isn’t “the maze” has lots of close, tiny forms and contains the brighter colors of the painting, establishing an asymmetrical but balanced design. While this painting conjures a muted feeling from afar, it’s busy, noisy and crowded when seen close-up.

At the very top of the painting is an image of a little boy who is alone, curled up in a ball. This is probably a depiction of Kurelek’s tortured youth. It seems as if he is trying to say that, although he was lonely and quiet as a child, he was also deeply disturbed under the surface.