Artists' Representations of the Impact of Family Suicide during Childhood and Adolescence

Individuals who have experienced the death of a close family member endure a process of grief and mourning, which is not of fixed duration (Hauser, 1987). Affective responses, such as crying and lamentation, vary by culture and individual character. The grief and mourning enable bereaved persons to eventually reach states of adaptation, reorganization, and resolution thus regaining control and stability in their lives (Hauser, 1987). The process of bereavement may, however, be complicated by circumstances surrounding a death and by family psychopathology prior to its occurrence (Lundin, 1984a; Rynearson, 1984, 1986). In certain cases such as suicide, the bereaved experience increased levels of difficulty and stress (Lundin, 1984b).

This study explores the bereavement process in individuals who have experienced the suicidal death of a parent or sibling while in childhood or adolescence. We have chosen to investigate this area of bereavement in a group of internationally recognized visual artists, all of whom have endured a family suicide during the formative years of their lives. In an effort to better understand the long-term impact of the family suicide, we have focused our study on the imagery, colors, and techniques of these artists' work, commenting on possible manifestations of that suicide and on evidence of trauma related to it in their creations.