Carlo Zinelli–schizophrenic Italian, war veteran, and artist. After stints the Spanish Civil War and WWII, Carlo’s aggression increased and ability to verbally communicate deteriorated. He called mental institutions home until his death. After 10 years in insolation, 2 sculptors and a psychiatrist added him to the art program where he created over 3,000 pieces with pens, gouache, and watercolors. The atelier exhibited his work 10 years before his death, catching the attention of art historians and collectors.
His figures are always drawn in profile and the majority of his works are double sided. I like the repetition of the figures and symbols and how every inch of space is used. I think many artists would like to operate as an outsider artist–no influence from the outside world, no formal training, and an unending drive to create–but find those conditions unattainable in the real world, or the driving force is undesirable.
Catherine R. Hofmann 
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