The psychopathology of everyday art: a quantitative Study - World ...

neglected as a matter of course now for art-therapy 'referrals', is that the art must elicit
spontaneously from the patient 38 . MacGregor makes the point that he discusses little
of the contribution of art therapists to the history of investigation of the image making
of psychotic individuals, "The interference of individuals with minimal training in either
psychiatry or psychotherapy cannot be seen as an advantage" 39 , although he goes on to
point out that a full psychoanalytic training with art skills makes a valuable contribution
to the therapeutic milieu, giving the example of Margaret Naumberg, psychoanalyst and
generally acknowledged as the inventor of American psychodynamic art therapy 40 .
Demonstrations of the therapeutic ineffectiveness of psychoanalytic treatment
have led to a loss of confidence in the theory, but it at least offers a framework of
happening"; Paola Luzzatto (1989), Drinking problems and short-term art therapy: working with images
of withdrawal and clinging, in Andrea Gilroy and Tessa Dalley, eds., op.cit., pp.207-219 discusses
treatment of 2 patients who were also attending group therapy, through interpretation "linking behaviour
and feelings - past and present" and confrontation "allowing, or even encouraging, the exploration of
alternative ways of defence" in only 11 hours of art therapy by "stimulating free associations to the image".
She assumes transference to the imagery and supports her views with a variety of noncontextual references,
assumes a therapeutic relationship, and none of the interpretations of imagery or counselling relates to the
patient's drinking, but to "underlying problems". She discusses the anger of her second patient who "had
art therapy chosen for him". The images were recognised by the patients as symbolic of their own attitude.
38
Margaret Naumberg (1947) Studies of the free art expression of behaviour disturbed children as a means
of diagnosis and therapy , New York: J.Nervous Mental Dis. Monographs, Cooleridge Foundn.; (1950)
Schizophrenic Art, Its meaning in Psychotherapy New York: Grune Stratton; Art Therapy: its scope and
function in E.F. Hammer, ed. (1958), Clinical Applications of Projective D rawing , Springfield: Thomas;
(1966) Dynamically Orientated Art Therapy: Its Principles and Practices New
York: Grune Stratton; and Marion Milner 1969, op.cit., were both very specific that the patient should
come spontaneously to art and not be given standard exercises.
39 MacGregor (1989), op.cit. p.311.
40
Margaret Naumburg, (1947, 1950, 1958, 1966, op.cit.); Kris was particularly conscious of the
psychoanalytically orientated form of art therapy developed by Naumburg and refers to it as providing
detailed case material "I believe that future students of this question will be strongly impelled to draw on
the material so carefully presented by Naumburg. In no other similar publication of which I know is there
for instance, an equal opportunity to compare graphic and verbal productions of one patient", Kris (1953),
Review of Schizophrenic Art, by Margaret Naumberg Psychoanalytic Quarterly V.22: 98-101. Kris also
makes reference to H.G. Baynes (1940) op.cit. as providing an example of the Jungian approach to the
same problem.
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