From Dot to Line to Plane: Constellating Unconscious Imagery in Art Therapy

Abstract

In this article I describe an art-based procedure with a gradual sequence of drawing tasks that guides an art therapy client through graphic stages from point, to line, to plane. The client begins by making random dots, connecting them one to another with an unbroken line that reaches all the dots, perceiving abstract or figurative imagery in the angular net that is created, and outlining and coloring in the images perceived. At each stage, emphasis is placed on expanding graphic behavior, noticing additional choices, and completing the images and their environments. Verbal or written dialogue between the symbolic images can reveal personal imagery related to the artist's life issues.

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Notes on contributors

Lenore Steinhardt

Lenore Steinhardt is an art therapist and educator in the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology, and the Arts, Ramat Aviv, Israel.