Jung, a mystical aesthetic, and abstract art

Abstract

On the question of aesthetics, Jung makes a clear distinction between aestheticism and aesthetics. He dismissed the former as lacking substance and moral commitment, but allows that his psychology can never usurp but can contribute to a depth aesthetic. On close examination, this aesthetic rests on the manifestation of the archetypal in all forms of creativity. As such, it is closely related to the spiritual and religious. Modern expressionist and abstract art was consciously influenced by the apophatic mystical tradition to which Jung himself was drawn. Kandinsky and Arp are significant representatives of this tradition who were influenced by mystical experience – especially that of Jacob Boehme, one of Jung's key intellectual ancestors. The paper works to identify the rudiments of a Jungian aesthetic and show its compatibility with the work and theory of Kandinsky, Arp and the expressionist/abstract project.

Keywords:

• aesthetic
• aestheticism
• mysticism
• expressionism
• abstract art
• Boehme
• Kandinsky and Arp