Between Subjectivity and Objectivity: Art Therapy’s Challenge

Abstract

Art works are considered subjective objects (Hagman, G. The Artist’s Mind, 2010, Routledge, London and New York), condensing inner life of the author with the making of a concrete and separate object. For this reason, they constitute a therapeutic tool as well as means of understanding the state of well-being of the author. Art products are therefore very important source of information about any process of change in the emotional life of the author.

Evidence-based guidelines for art therapy interventions with people prone to psychotic states, compiled in 2007 (Brooker et al., Goldsmiths, University of London, London, 2007), form the scaffolding for any evidence-based projects of research in the field. The first randomised controlled trial of group art psychotherapy with people diagnosed as schizophrenic (Richardson et al., J Mental Health. 2007;16(4):483–91) shows beneficial results, after a rather short time of group art therapy meetings. Art has been used for centuries to alleviate mental illness, but researches are still few and methods of gathering data are still discussed among practitioners: research methods must be inclusive and interdisciplinary, in resonance with the creative process (McNiff, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 1998.), favouring art-based research, in which knowledge is attained through artistic means and perceptual evidence (Kapitan, Routledge, New York, 2018; Sullivan, Thousand Oak, CA: Sage Publications; 2010), but they should provide legible and valuable information for other professionals.