Art as an anchor – Art as re-creation: Parallels between artists’ productions and personal life adjustments in psychotherapy

This article explores the relationship between art, psychoanalysis, and psychotherapy, using Modigliani’s artwork and Freud’s collection of carved heads as symbolic anchors. It delves into the first author’s personal journey of struggle, grappling with emotional absence, symbolised by the ‘dead mother’ concept, and the impact of thwarted artistic aspirations on her life. The article analyses the creative process of working and re-working in art and psychotherapy, drawing parallels between artistic expression and therapeutic engagement. Finally, the second author examines the role of art as a generational developmental theme and its capacity to provide solace, understanding, and a sense of shared humanity.