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In this splendid book, Sigourney Award–winning psychoanalyst Graeme Taylor guides his readers on an exciting, rewarding, applied psychoanalytic trip into the fascinating, disturbing life, world, and art of one of America's greatest modern artists, Willem de Kooning. Although this artist did not like to be constrained by any single art category, he is often considered an abstract expressionist member of the New York School. Utilizing our hermeneutic science to augment understanding of art, artists, and wider cultural matters is often interesting, thought-provoking, and important, and is so in this instance.
The author has immersed himself deeply and passionately in all aspects of his subject. Clear, detailed descriptions of the psychoanalytic concepts he employs make his labor accessible not only to psychoanalysts but also to the wider public. Sixteen photographs of de Kooning and his art bring additional life and substance to Taylor's fine prose. Physically, this book has a hefty, substantial feel, a result of having been printed on high quality paper.
Enriched by references to relevant contributions from art critics, art historians, philosophers, psychoanalysts, and other scholars, Taylor offers multifaceted views on the powerful images de Kooning bequeathed us. Anyone, perhaps especially those less familiar with the insightful observations and reflections of art scholars, will be stimulated and enlightened by their penetrating observations. Many of these specialists have been profoundly influenced by psychoanalytic thinking, finding it eminently useful in their work. Taylor adroitly balances their commentaries with relevant statements of his own and from the artist, addressing the same matters. These rich explorations of process and product will be relevant and useful for psychoanalytic clinicians and researchers seeking to more fully comprehend images and processes they encounter when working with patients' dreams, memories, creative productions, reports, and other