Life is a delicate balance. Work and play, family and friends, south and north, potholes and traffic, biryani and diet plan. What a task indeed, to navigate through them all! For a certain lot, the balance between brilliance and madness is a thin line. Artists easily fall into this category. No surprises there, for the world has already created this stereotypical image of an artist — hair ignored, thoughtlessly dressed, bearded (for portrayals are all male), and of course, with eyes bloodshot with intoxication — the epitome of eccentricity. The typecast may be unfair, as most artists are as normal as any banker or engineer could be. Yet, it is also true that sometimes, artistic brilliance and its expression find their inspiration in the call of drugs.
Today is the International Day against Drug Abuse, observed by the United Nations to achieve a world that is liberated from drug abuse. It is also the perfect time to talk about creative geniuses whose lives were cut short at the peak of their careers, when alcohol and substance abuse extinguished the fire that produced their haunting masterpieces.
Drug use among artists is certainly nothing new. Ancient cultures like the Egyptian, Roman, and Greek civilisations consumed opium for artistic inspiration. During the 18th and 19th centuries, hallucinogens and alcoholic spirits such as absinthe started being paraded as a means to explore new perspectives in creativity. Vincent Van Gogh, known equally for his art as well as his tragic life, was known to drink absinthe in excess. When his mental health declined, his doctor also prescribed digitalis, which apparently was known to give a yellow tinge to one’s vision. Perhaps that explains his yellow-hued masterpieces!
In the early 20th century, drug use became popular among artists, with many famous names taking to it. Andy Warhol, the king of Pop Art, struggled with stress, and this was at the forefront of his drug abuse. His daily prescription for Obetrol became an addiction until he died at the age of 58. His partner in art, Jean-Michel Basquiat, with whom he shared one of the most endearing friendships in art history, died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27, after a long struggle with drug abuse.
Who hasn’t heard of Jackson Pollock and his drip technique? Dubbed one of the greatest American painters, Pollock was addicted to alcohol for most of his adult life. His behaviour was erratic, and he worked at a feverish pace, with his addiction slowly tightening its grip over his life and work. At the age of 44, he crashed his car while drinking under the influence of alcohol, killing himself and one of his two female passengers. Renowned artist Mark Rothko was also known to have relied on drugs like Sinequan and Valium to cope with his growing depression.
These tragic narratives must serve as stark reminders of lives that would have given the world much more if they were not lost so soon in the labyrinth of addiction. Any path of discovery is treacherous and has to be guided by mindfulness. Drugs can only distort creativity and destroy the creator.