Art Exhibit Shows Off Works by Mentally Ill

Moscow's Art Naive gallery held an exhibit this week of work by psychiatrically ill artists.

Done in many different styles, exhibit visitors at the opening found the work compelling.

The words at the top of this picture says "Room of fear." On the left hand side, are the words "In sharing the light with others, I go up in flames myself" and "Room of laughter."

The Beatles and some flowers.

Ants swarm through a metro station.

One of the most famous artists on show is Alexander Lobanov, who spent most of his life in a psychiatric hospital.

Nearly all of Lobanov's works have guns in them. He drew Lenin with a gun, Stalin with a gun but most of all he had himself in paintings and collages with a gun or guns.

An idyllic scene.

Visitors mimicking a painting accidentally.

Some of the artists came to the opening. This artist said that his work which features birds and flames is a way to purify the world.