Depression and the Spiritual in Modern Art: Homage to Miró [Hardcover]

Joseph J. Schildkraut (Editor), Aurora Otero (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471954039 | ISBN-13: 978-0471954033 | Publication Date: September 24, 1996 | Edition: 1

Integrating perspectives from psychiatry, psychology, and art history, this unique book explores the relationship between depression and artistic creativity. Inspired by a 1993 symposium celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Joan Miro, who himself suffered severe bouts of depression throughout his life, if features famous works of modern art/abstract impressionism from various schools and regions around the world.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Exploring the links between artistic creativity, spirituality, and melancholia or depression, this new book has been compiled and contributed to by leading international experts in psychiatry, psychology, and art history. Inspired by a symposium held in Barcelona to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Joan Miro, who himself suffered severe bouts of depression. It features famous works of modern art by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Arshile Gorky, Robert Motherwell, Antoni Tapies, Eduardo Chillida and Miro himself. Contains over 50 full-colour pictures of famous work of art.

From the Inside Flap

Depression and the Spiritual in Modern Art Exploring the links between artistic creativity, spirituality and depression or manic-depressive illness, the contributors to this book include prominent international experts in psychiatry, psychology and art history, as well as two of Spain’s foremost artists. Inspired by a symposium held in Barcelona to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the renowned Catalan artist Joan Miró, this book describes Miró’s tragic temperament, his struggles over his identity both as an artist and as a person, and his lifelong spiritual beliefs. Thought-provoking essays document the co-occurrence of mood disorders and creativity in artists and their families and the profound spiritual convictions held by many of the leading artists of the twentieth century. Also included are essays describing the spiritual strivings and high prevalence of depression in the Abstract Expressionists of the New York School. a group of artists who rose to prominence in the middle of this century. Profoundly influenced by Miró, their work stands as a lasting tribute to this great Catalan master. The book features works by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Arshile Gorky, Robert Motherwell, Antoni Tàpies, Eduardo Chillida and Miró himself.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (September 24, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471954039
• ISBN-13: 978-0471954033
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,768,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When science cross over the art..., July 17, 2000

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"ferrazalves" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Depression and the Spiritual in Modern Art: Homage to Miró (Hardcover)

J. Miro is a great modern artist, whose painting express many feelings. This book presents us to the Miro s biography and pictures. Going trough Miro and othes modern paintings paintings the author discuss depression and its expression in art. There are many paintings that express feelings as sadness (example Dali self report), anxiety , helplesness and fear (The Scream). One thing very interesting about this book is that the author mixed clinical features about depression and compare to art tecniques like what colour was used and why. This subjects leads us to K. G. Jung s theory about mind and expression on feelings and desires, he proposed a colective self, what justify why many different painters (and sculpters, writters,...) propose, in different cultures, the same way to express feelings, in this case depressive feelings. Talking about depression and art expression in this moment, going to the next millenium, is very important; after all, depression is the century desease - the first cause of working disability according to World Health Organization (1996) and, art expression is the way men talk to human heart and share theirs feelings.