Henry Darger
- Introduction
- Henry Joseph Darger Jr. (; April 12, 1892 – April 13, 1973) was an American writer, novelist and artist who worked as a hospital custodian in Chicago, Illinois. He has become famous for his posthumously discovered 15,145-page, single-spaced fantasy manuscript called The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, along with several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings illustrating the story.The visual subject matter of his work ranges from idyllic scenes in Edwardian interiors and tranquil flowered landscapes populated by children and fantastic creatures, to scenes of horrific terror and carnage depicting young children being tortured and massacred. Much of his artwork is mixed media with collage elements. Darger's artwork has become one of the most celebrated examples of outsider art.
- Wikidata
- Q721013
- Introduction
- Now considered one of the most notable American "outsider artists," Darger was a reclusive Chicago janitor whose work was discovered after his death by his landlord. He spent some of his early life in and out of an asylum, and by 1920, had begun work on his epic "The Story of the Vivian Girls in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal or the Glandelinian War Storm or the Glandico-Abbienian Wars as Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion" (also known as "Realms of the Unreal") - a 13,000 page mixed-media work with elaborate, cartoon-like watercolor illustrations. At the time of his death, he was at work on an autobiography, which had reached upwards of 2,600 pages.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Roles
- Artist, Writer, Naive Artist, Illustrator, Painter
- Names
- Henry Darger, Henry J. Darger
- Ulan
- 500061883
Exhibitions
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412: Domestic Disruption
Ongoing
MoMA
Collection gallery
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Soldier, Spectre, Shaman: The Figure and the Second
World War Oct 24, 2015–Apr 3, 2016
MoMA
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Compass in Hand: Selections from The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection
Apr 22, 2009–Jan 4, 2010
MoMA
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Compass in Hand: Selections from The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection
Apr 22, 2009–Jan 4, 2010
MoMA
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Glossolalia: Languages of Drawing
Mar 26–Jul 7, 2008
MoMA
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Henry Darger has
6 exhibitionsonline.
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Henry Darger 116. At Jennie Richee. Notice by approach of blue gray black cloud that hurricane like thunder storm is going to renew., 117. At Jennie Richee. To avoid being out in the open when storm renews, they take chance going through farm possessed by Glandelin c. 1960s
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Henry Darger a) Are almost murdered themselves though they fight for their lives typhoon saves them... b) Vivian girls said Glandelinian tent, (n.d.)
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Henry Darger a) Untitled (Strangled child in the sky) b) At Norma Catherine nearing enemy lines are captured (n.d.)
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Henry Darger a) The Vivian girls nuded like child slaves b) Untitled (Sacred Heart) and At second battle of Marcocino also escape from disasterous explosion during battle caused by glandelinians (n.d.)
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Henry Darger a) Captured by Glandelinians under Baldwin (Baldwin not shown here) during the frightful carnage at Aronburgs Run or Glorianna b) Picture No Two of the same scenes (n.d.)
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Henry Darger a) They had seized a Glandelinian officer... b) At Jennie Richie are arrested again with bum by reinforcing Glandelinians (n.d.)
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Henry Darger a) Untitled (Grape shaped damna fruit) b) Untitled (Vines strangling girls) (n.d.)
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Henry Darger a) Untitled (Many girls tied to slabs of stone) b) Untitled (Pastoral scene - girls with lasso) (n.d.)
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Henry Darger At Jennie Richee At shore of Aronburg Run River... (recto); Untitled (Girl swinging on vine) (verso) n.d.
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Henry Darger a) At Jennie Richee the Blengins stay under shelter b) Lightning strikes the crazy outfit again (n.d.)
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Henry Darger Spangled Blengins. Boy King Islands. One is a young Tuskerhorian the other a human headed Dortherean. (n.d.)
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Henry Darger Untitled (Map of Angelinia Ayathas Battlefield) (n.d.)
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Henry Darger a) Untitled (Sombreros and orange canyon) b) Untitled (Two boys canoeing) (n.d.)
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Henry Darger a) At McCalls run. A demon appears in room. Hands of fire. Torrington imperaled by explosion b) At Jennie Richee During full fury of storm enemy soldiers seize them at the caves mouth and they are strangled to senselessness, (n.d.)
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Henry Darger Untitled (Overall flowers) (recto); Untitled (Beautiful girls sitting around with giant cactus in center) (verso) n.d.
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