JENNIFER ARTHINGTON, PsyD
Psychotherapy and the creative process of art are not distinct processes for me. In many ways I was drawn to psychological theories and methods in exactly the same way I was drawn to studying art. Psychology helps us unpack our beliefs and unconscious drives using language while art provides a more kinesthetic approach to healing our wounds. Using imagery and metaphor allows my patients to use a less linear perspective. I challenge myself to work in the same way with my art projects by testing the way in which something is “supposed” to look.
What Remains
(Photography, Black & White, 12” x 12”)
The year my grandmother died I became responsible for the contents of her home. In my sadness at her loss I became overwhelmed with what to do with “what remained.” During my forage through the detritus I came upon a large box of dolls in different states of dress and wholeness. This doll in particular drew me to her, in that she was beautifully broken and pieced back together, which summed up for me the human experience. The starkness of the black and white worked perfectly to relay the raw, naked emotions evoked while working with something that was once loved by someone I loved.