Skt. Adolf=Roosali 1917

Adolf Wölfli made this unnamed image in pencil and crayon, giving it a title – Skt. Adolf=Roosali – that hints at the personal mythology underpinning his art. Look at that central flower, almost like a sun, but also like a watchful face, which is encircled by other flowers, leaves, and curious markings. You can tell Wölfli cared about every inch of the page. It's fascinating to think of the artist as he worked, building this composition from the inside out. The color is so vibrant, the mark-making so precise, that the image shimmers and vibrates. I imagine him making each shape, then painstakingly filling it with a unique pattern or color, creating a microcosm of Wölfli’s mind. There are parallels to be found in the work of other self-taught visionary artists like Henry Darger and Martín Ramírez, who created worlds from scratch. Wölfli invites us to step into his world, too, so strange, so beautiful, and so deeply personal.