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In a previous paper 1, the role of art in the treatment of the mentally ill was discussed. This paper emphasized that art affords a release of repressed energy as well as an opportunity for creative expression. Most important, it provides a medium by which unconscious conflicts, repressed hostilities and buried libidinal trends may be expressed. In the present paper, we shall present in greater detail our observations of the art work of a schizophrenic patient with particular emphasis on dynamics and clinical progress.
The psychotic patient presents a formidable problem for the psychotherapist. The patient may be mute, inaccessible to conversation, or so disturbed that, normal verbal communication, the basis of psychotherapy is impossible. Through the medium of art activity, in which a mute or otherwise inaccessible patient may participate, the therapist may gain access to the patient's thoughts and conflicts. The patient transposes his conflicts on a painting and he may verbalize the meaning (for him) of the various items that comprise the picture, giving the therapist an idea of the major areas of conflict and an understanding of the psycho-dynamic mechanism involved. These can be used as a basis for interpretation, explanation and therapy.
Hanns Sachs 2 points out that in the creative mechanism the psychic material has been arranged in the manner of stepping