| James Edward Deeds, Jr. created a collection of drawings during the mid-twentieth century, while institutionalized in the Nevada State Hospital, No. 3 of Missouri. Deeds' album is one of the most significant outsider art discoveries in recent years and addresses a variety of issues concerning the asylum in which he was incarcerated along with the treatments used there. Known only as "The Electric Pencil" until his true identity was confirmed in July 2011, Deeds produced his work at a time when American asylums were changing radically and adopting treatments that included electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and later, psychotropic drugs. Previous literature on Deeds indicates the importance of the effects of these changes, particularly ECT, on his art. However, this thesis delves deeper into these aspects of his work, providing a thorough history of the treatment and the hospital itself and therefore a broader context with which to view his art. |
