When the neighbours of reclusive Henry Darger discovered his 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-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, they were shocked. Whilst he was resting on his deathbed they found piles of drawings, paintings and manuscripts strewn all over his one room apartment and realised they had found Darger's wonderful secret world. In this world, children save the day, giant winged girls float through the sky and Darger himself is accepted.
Having grown up in a boys home, Darger spent his life alone, relying only on a few neighbours who helped him pay the rent. Some thought he was simple, others were unsettled by him. Little did they know of the genius lurking beneath his shy exterior. When a neighbour told him how amazing his work was, the rapidly depleting Darger whispered "Well, it's too late now..."
I adore Henry Darger. I love him not only because of his amazing story (where a group of little girls named 'The Vivian Girls', who I believe inspired the name for the band, save the world from anti-religious evil forces), his attention to detail, colour and description but because of the man himself. Confused about sexuality (he drew little girls with penises), tortured by religion and greatly distressed by child-cruelty, Darger escapes to his imagination, unable to face the real world. The fact that he didn't know how good he was suggests a certain naivety; a refreshing change from the likes of Hirst and Banksy, whose 'Starbucks' artistic approach kills any sincerity or modesty.
To know more about Darger, make sure you watch Jessica Yu's 'Realms of the Unreal'. It captures Darger's story perfectly, bringing to life his creations and giving them their own voices. It's available on DVD, but I think only in USA format, so try and catch it on Sky Arts, as it is often played.
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