Can creation of art and its interpretation provide us with a gateway to understanding the unconscious? How can we use art for healing? Are all creative geniuses essentially mad? Is art an expression of the internal psychic processes or a reflection of the external realities and power structures? What are the benefits of teaching visual arts to everyone?
This course will provide students with both theoretical and experiential knowledge of topics related to psychology of creativity, art theory and the uses of art in psychotherapy. Starting from the psychoanalytic tradition with its concepts of the unconscious, the archetypes and the symbolic, we will explore how art was influenced by psychology, and how in turn, psychology sought to understand the workings of the human mind through art and devised instruments to utilize art in psychodiagnosis and psychotherapeutic interventions.
The students will also investigate the subfield of psychology that examines the cognitive processes behind creativity and imagination, and try their hand in art therapy. As part of the course students will keep reflective art-journals, attend artist talks and guest lectures, participate in experiential workshops, and visit art exhibits and galleries in Bishkek. Students will be able to choose the format of their final project for the course - they can produce either (1) an artistic study of a psychological issue, (2) a research paper investigating the link between artistic practice and a psychological issue, (3) a programme for an art-therapeutic practice with focus on a specific psychological issue, or (4) a community art project that will address their local community social and cultural needs.
- Teachers: Mohira Suyarkulova