Art's place in art therapy

I have been thinking about the relation between art as we know it and the practice of art therapy. This made me reminisce on the Edvard Munch exhibition I attended at the Tate last year.

 

'The sick child' 1907
 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/edvard-munch-1678

I am aware that my viewing of art has changed since beginning the course, I have spoken about this before but I can make a direct comparison in my thoughts of viewing Munch's work last year and this year. Last year I had an appreciation for the work but I was mainly concerned with the painterly quality of the work rather than the subject. I gave little thought to the fact that Munch was painting painful images of the process of death and distress. But now my feelings have changed. I now have more respect for his work when thinking about it in an art therapy context.

I can consider how he painted more than one version of the same image. Take 'The sick child' for instance. I believe Munch painted several versions I think this was because he wanted (consciously or subconsciously) to work through his personal issues, his painful experiences.


Edvard Munch's 'The sick child' (1907), (2013) [image online] Available at:  http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/edvard-munch-1678 [Accessed 16 October 2013]