Artmaking, Subjectivity, and Signification

Abstract

Drawing upon Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, neuroscience brain research, and the practices of contemporary artists Ann Hamilton, Jasper Johns, Elizabeth Murray, and Oliver Herring, this article argues for the relevance of conscious and unconscious knowledge in artistic practice. Parallels drawn between Lacanian psychoanalytic clinical practice and artistic practice demonstrate a meaningful interdisciplinary alliance forged through a shared interest in conferring agency on the unconscious. The description of a recent graduate art education course, designed around artistic practices with conscious and unconscious knowledge, strongly exemplifies the pedagogical implications of the foregoing investigation.