Article ID: CBB672317709

The staff of madness: the visualization of insanity and the othering of the insane (2021)

unapi

In this article I trace a history of the most ubiquitous visual symbol of madness: the staff. First, I argue that the staff, in its variants (such as the pinwheel) and with its attachments (such as an inflated bladder), represents madness as air. It thus represents madness as an invisible entity that must be made visible. Secondly, I claim that the staff – being iconic of other ‘unwanted’ categories such as vagabonds – represents the insane as outsiders. Also in this case, the staff serves the purpose of making madness visible. Through this interpretation I show that the urge to make madness visible outlives icons of insanity such as the staff, making it a constant presence in popular culture and medical practice.

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Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB672317709/

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Authors & Contributors
Martin Atherton
Iain Hutchison
Selisker, Scott
Peter Davis
Convery, Ian
Owen T. Nevin
Concepts
Symbolism; symbolic representation
Visual representation; visual communication
Science and art
Science and culture
Popular culture
Science and literature
Time Periods
20th century, late
18th century
17th century
21st century
20th century
19th century
Places
Germany
Barcelona (Spain)
New York City (New York, U.S.)
United States
Netherlands
Russia
Institutions
Dance Notation Bureau (DNB)
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