Niki de Saint Phalle's lifelong dialogue between art and diseases: psychological trauma of sexual abuse, transient selective IgA deficiency, occupational exposure to toxic plastic material, chronic lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

The French artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) is one of the most famous female painter and sculptor of the 20th century. Her eventful live was full of emotional and physical burdens such as abuse by the father as a adolescent, early separation from family, nervous collapse, turbulent relationship with the artist Jean Tinguely, and last not least serious diseases. The psychological trauma of sexual abuse together with a "nervous breakdown" years later was the start of a life as an artist and is also a key to her art of the early years. She was affected from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and was treated over 20 years with prednisolone and antimalarials leading to a good functional outcome and limited erosions of the wrist joint. Additionally, she had lifelong pulmonary disorders finally leading to death, which she attributed to polyester, the material used for her sculptures. An analysis of medical documents collected by her and provided by treating physicians gives another surprising explanation: selective IgA deficiency with multiple recurrent respiratory infections, asthma, milk intolerance, autoimmune thyroiditis, and RA compatible with hypogammaglobulinemia. Very unique in case of Niki de Saint Phalle is that IgA deficiency was transient. Nevertheless, it may be possible that the occupational exposure with art materials (polystyrene, polyester) has contributed in part or temporarily to her health problems. Altogether, her enormous artistic productivity represents an outstanding example of creative coping with RA and other lifelong health problems.