The
beginnings of art are lost in the dim reaches of prehistory, eons before humans
began recording and codifying their experiences in writing. And yet
philosophers, artists, and historians have for centuries noted the intimate and
perhaps inseparable relationship between human consciousness and the artistic
impulse.
As
analyst and professor Christian Gaillard notes, we can see some of the earliest
expressions of this intimacy in the cave paintings at Lascaux, and the
relationship continues to the present day in the works of modern creators such
as Jackson Pollock and Anselm Kiefer. What fascinates Gaillard—and, indeed,
what fascinated Carl Jung—is, among other things, the notion that art enables
us to explore our inner landscapes in ways that are impossible by any other
means.
In The
Soul of Art: Analysis and Creation, Gaillard takes readers on a tour of his own
“gallery of the mind,” examining works of art from throughout history—and
prehistory—that have moved, challenged, and changed him. He also explores
instances where particular works of art have proven deeply significant in his
or his colleagues’ understanding of their analyses and their ability to serve
as capable guides on the journey toward self-awareness.
Reviews
From its
origins in Paleolithic caves to Abstract Expressionism and beyond, the essence
or soul of art is revealed in this charming book. The psychology at play within a broad range
of artistic imagery is explicated in magisterial fashion by Jungian analyst and
professor at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Christian
Gaillard. The reader is led stepwise
into experiences of complexity and depth through layers of explications of
artworks aided by amplification and art-historical erudition. This volume is destined to become one of the
special jewels in the Fay Lecture Series.—Joseph Cambray, Ph D, provost,
Pacifica Graduate Institute; past-president of the IAAP
"This
book, Gaillard says, "is not the result of a plan." A lucky
circumstance, which renders its flow similar to the artistic creation. There is
a parallelism between it and analysis: both are healing processes in which the
Ego leaves the stage to the Unconscious. Psychoanalysis strives to heal an
individual, while the artist wants to render more complete— “to heal” is
etymologically connected with “whole”— an image or another collective
expression. Both might be imperfect, yet are pillars of an existence looking
for meaning. From the caves of Lascaux to Anselm Kiefer, Gaillard traces a
splendid bridge between the two."—Luigi Zoja, past president of
International Association for Analytical Psychology
“…a
brilliant account…a book that sums up a lifetime of encounters with art and
imagination.”—Murray Stein, author of Soul – Treatment and Recovery - Murray
Stein, author of Soul – Treatment and Recovery
About the
Author
CHRISTIAN
GAILLARD is a doctor of psychology, training analyst, supervisor, and former
president of the French Society of Analytical Psychology. Previously serving as
a professor at the École Nationale Supériure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he was
also the founding director of the Cahiers Jungiens de Psychanalyse.
Christian
Gaillard has also contributed an extremely interesting chapter on Jung, Neumann
and Art to Turbulent Times, Creative Minds (pp. 261-297, with plenty of illustrations):
The theme, or question, we are about to
discuss, is not at all simple: Jung, Neumann and Art. The question is not at
all simple, because, as I hope to show, it challenges us to examine certain
essentials characteristics of the psychology and work of both Jung and
Neumann.
We shall proceed in three or four steps -
as visually as possible.
First of all, I must speak of a wicked
misunderstanding. A misunderstanding or misinterpretation we hear repeatedly in
our Institutes, our publications, or even in our congresses. It concerns Jung’s
relationship to the modern and contemporary arts.
Hence, we will be looking at some of the
works that moved Jung and Neumann, along with their approaches to them. Of
course, we will also consider some pages from the Red Book and certain drawings
by Neumann.
Finally, I would like for us to consider a
current, and very unexpected, event, which therefore was unknown to Jung and
Neumann: the recent public showing of Jung’s Red Book at the last Biennale of
Contemporary Art in Venice.
