Abstract
The present study deals with the understanding of the human psyche thought art perception and allegory formation. Besides our physiological, nerve, and endocrinological system, it is mainly culture which constitutes the human psyche. Art is one of the central elements of further expression in every culture. Yet, there is very little scientific discourse surrounding the connection between a work of art and the organization of our psyche in psychology. Hence, a case study will be presented which illustrates this connection precisely. An interview design was developed to evoke an allegory and story formation in order to reveal the art perception of Robert P. who was chosen for this study. The analysis of the data revealed an ideology of his attitude of life. Through the formation of a story and an allegory about a painting, Robert P. reveals an intrapsychic ambivalence between goal-orientated rationalism and romantic German idealism. Furthermore, Robert P.’s expressions about the artwork show his understanding but also confusion towards this conflicting ambivalence. Furthermore, the case study elicits the association of cultural thinking and the individual value system towards the expressed art perception of Robert P. Consequently, a displayed work of art seems to function as a catalyst for the expression of the personal mind organization and the life script ideology of the viewer.
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Notes
Original (in German.): Es hat sicher etwas mit Streben zu tun. Dadurch wäre es natürlich auch ein wichtiger Aspekt im lichtsuchenden Leben einer Motte. Trotzdem würde ich dem Zweckgerichteten des dargestellten Strebens nicht zu viel Wert beimessen. Durch den ebenfalls dargestellten nicht-Suchenden, beinahe von der Sinnlosigkeit des Leidens gelangweilten Blick, denke ich an die Profanität des (religiösen/zweckgerichteten) Strebens.
Original (in German): “Den Verweisungszusammenhang, der als Bedeutsamkeit die Weltlichkeit konstituiert, kann man formal im Sinne eines Relationssystems fassen.”
In English: Mental unity, gained through mindful construction.
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Acknowledgments
Before the official references, I want to reference a great lecturer and source of inspiration: Prof. Dr. Jaan Valsiner. He supported me throughout important writing processes of this paper, helped to narrow down my ideas, inspiring with continuative literature, and constructive comments—what he delicately calls intellectual torture.
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Guenther, L.P.F. Homo Allegoris: How Art Perception and Allegory Analysis Reveal the Life Script Ideology. Hu Arenas 4, 471–486 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-020-00117-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-020-00117-7