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    House of Neuroses / House of Normalcy: My Life With Vincent Duane Phillips and His Curious Art
    House of Neuroses / House of Normalcy: My Life With Vincent Duane Phillips and His Curious Art
    House of Neuroses / House of Normalcy: My Life With Vincent Duane Phillips and His Curious Art
    Ebook151 pages1 hour

    House of Neuroses / House of Normalcy: My Life With Vincent Duane Phillips and His Curious Art

    By Marion Goyette and Vincent Phillips

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    About this ebook

    Read how the author aids the artist she loves tell his own story of struggle with depression and addiction through his art and poetry – a sort of autobiography from the grave. The author spent decades of her life lending support to a tortured artist who was burned by the flames that fueled his creativity. Vincent Duane Phillips died in 2013 from oral cancer – a consequence of long-term, self-destructive behaviors. Smoking and alcohol abuse were a means of coping with a depression that stalked him throughout his life. The outlet for his pain was the creation of a large body of art. This book is a memoir, an art book, an autobiography, and a view of mental health and self-help. Most of all it is a love story. It illuminates the lives of the millions of people who suffer from depression and those who care for them. The author invites you to enter the HOUSE OF NEUROSES – HOUSE OF NORMALCY and meet the man, warts and all, and delve into his unconventional art.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateMay 1, 2018
    ISBN9781543932881
    House of Neuroses / House of Normalcy: My Life With Vincent Duane Phillips and His Curious Art

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      Book preview

      House of Neuroses / House of Normalcy - Marion Goyette

      Works of the artist, Vincent Duane Phillips, published by permission of the artist’s daughter.

      © 2018 Marion Goyette All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. ISBN 978-1-54393-288-1

      Dedicated to those who give so much of themselves to those who need so much

      Contents

      A SCHIZOID DIALOG

      INTRODUCTION

      THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

      WHAT REMAINS BEHIND

      HOME SWEET SHORE

      SING UNCHAINED MELODY FOR ME AND OTHER RELATIONSHIPS

      SOFTBALL AND SUICIDE

      BRIGHT SPOTS IN THE DARKNESS

      GLOOM AND DOOM AND LAUGHING AT IT

      THE FINAL EXPRESSIONS

      FINDING RELEVANCE IN SUFFERING

      THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES

      RESOURCES

      THE GALLERY

      A SCHIZOID DIALOG

      Humans have many sides to our personalities. One of these sides is our primal side. The primal focuses on self-preservation - our fight or flight mechanism. The other side is our more evolved side that holds our moral compass and considers more than just our own survival. When there is a threat to our body, a pending attack, our primal side decides if we fight back or fly away. Our evolved side wants to negotiate with the attacker and find some acceptable middle ground. There are times in our lives when the primal, selfish side clashes with our evolved, selfless side. This internal discord can be distressing and is the situation I faced after the death of my mate − a depressed, alcohol-dependent artist.

      My long-time companion, Vince, left me a basement full of creations from his embattled brain. I wanted to place my home on the market but what was I to do with Vince’s museum? I believed his creations were his alter ego and too intriguing to discard. But Vince had little success selling his work so how could I achieve what he could not? His work is outside of the mainstream and has limited appeal. His struggles in the abyss of sadness produced images therapeutic to him but uncomfortable for most of his audience. Perhaps viewing his work within the context of his life could assist others who feel pain as he did. A debate erupted between my selfish, self-preservation Me side and my self-less, save the world Us side as to how I should proceed. The selfish side pondered, How does stalling the home sale to deal with piles of sketches and paintings help or harm me? Whereas the selfless side pondered, How can I use my experience with Vince to illuminate his darkness and his abilities so people can learn about the creative mind and mood disorders? The Me versus Us debate follows.

      Us:

      Now I no longer have major responsibilities to anyone but myself. However, I am part of humankind and I feel I have an obligation to make life easier for humanity as a whole. I also feel there is more I can do to solidify Vince’s legacy. There’s so much he left behind. So much he wanted to say. Should I escape from him now and squander the chance to use his story to assist others?

      Me:

      Why are you thinking about this? Have you completely lost your mind? Hasn’t this man consumed enough of your life? You can take your life back and enjoy yourself. Go sit on a beach in Mexico with margaritas and a Latin lover. Most people would call 1-800-get-junk and be done with it. But not you. You want to be curator of the life misspent collection.

      I admit he was challenging but he was a valuable human being even if he didn’t think so. He spoke through his art and I can’t see the fruits of his life ending up as recycled paper or painted-over canvases.

      "And what are you going to do with all his stuff?

      I thought I might write a book about him and his creations and include photos of his work to share them.

      Write a book! You realize how much time and energy it will take to accomplish that. Besides, who wants to read about the mentally ill. It’s such a downer.

      I disagree with your characterization of Vince as mentally ill. He had a mental condition with its benefits and its burdens. Only when the burdens become greater than the benefits can we consider illness. There was a price to pay for his creativity

      I see your point. The condition is only a problem when it interferes with the rest of humanity or interferes with life itself.

      Now you see what I mean.

      Yes, I see. He was mentally ill. He was a self-destructive train wreck who derailed. It’s time to let him go.

      I can let Vince go but not the kind of people he represents. The millions of people who struggle with mood disorders and other mental maladies. I can help Vince speak for them.

      You do know that you’re a chronic rescuer. So now you want to be Mother Teresa for the mentally ill?

      I would not put myself in the same category with her but I can be some degree of crusader.

      So you want to help your lost love tell his story through his off-beat creations on the chance that someone might benefit from it. How noble. Just who will buy this volume? There are gobs of people who write emotional outpourings and scatter their thoughts on a plethora of media for the world to absorb. Why should you add one more voice?

      Because Vince’s story is not a success story. His story is from the grave beautifully illustrated for all to see.

      I will grant you that Vince’s work does illustrate his mental state and dismal view of life. His stuff is so morbid: dark moods, weapons, death, skeletons…

      True, some are grotesque death fantasies but they’re exquisitely rendered. And he does have creations in a lighter mood.

      Yea. Dancing skeletons.

      There is a niche market for his genres. The book might generate some interest in buyers. I could craft descriptions of his pieces so they are intriguing to a wider audience.

      This should be good. Can’t wait to see how you stimulate mass appeal for a flying toilet. Maybe someone will want it for their bathroom wall.

      I admit that Vince’s output was unconventional but so was Pollock’s, Dali’s, Picasso’s and the list goes on. With the right public interface and marketing they became accepted.

      A good salesman. Someone who can sell beachfront lots in Death Valley. Maybe she can market mental illness while she’s at it.

      Precisely. Studies suggest a strong link between people with mood disorders and their ability to be imaginative, innovative and original. But, when mired at the extreme moods, they can’t utilize their abilities well. The mental health establishment needs to find a mechanism to effectively harness that creative ability. Look at all the professions that require people who can think outside the box. Inventors, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, diplomats. . .

      Enough! In other words you want to repackage certain mental conditions in a positive rather than a negative light. That could be a tough sell. Changing attitudes is never easy. And what’s the cost of this mission to you? Remember that life is what happens when one’s occupied trying to save the world.

      Maybe so but it will be a better world for humankind if attitudes can change. Those currently dealing with unmanaged conditions and obscured talents have much in common with revered but troubled personages of the past and present. Stated differently, it’s in everyone’s self-interest to help those with mental maladies take command of their condition and utilize their talents.

      Hum. I do enjoy reading Poe, and Van Gogh’s Starry Night is awesome. I’m sure there are many more like them that need to be revealed and nurtured. All right. You win. I suppose it is in my own self-interest to assist you in your campaign.

      So now I have

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