Taming Psychosomatic Diversities: Art and Circus as Cultural Spaces for Self-Fulfillment of Males with Rare Health Conditions: Andragogic Analysis of Life-Cycles

Abstract

This article is a review of two case studies of males with psychosomatic diversities and the valorized international fame because of their artistic expressions. They both were born in 19th century in Europe. The paper is not a clinical study but is an andragogic analysis of the lives of two famous artists: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, French painter and Polish circus artist Stephan Bibrowski (Lionel). They both were characterized by a binary meant uniqueness. Each artist had a rare health condition and syndrome resulting in a psychosomatic diversity and also each of them has revealed spectacular artistic talent and international fame. The main goal of the article is answering the question: how both artists tamed their own psychosomatic diversities? The text includes the andragogic life-cycles analysis of life patterns of both males in the context of cultural spaces; the spaces in which they were successful. Paper also contains two clinical descriptions of pycnodysostosis and congenital hypertrichosis, however clinical view is complementary to analyzed cases.