A New Perspective Of Abstract Art: An Exploration Of The Psychological Healing Function Of Abstract Art

Abstract art plays an important role in in the history of Western art.Currently,domestic research in abstract art focuses more on external issues e.g.historical development,regional study,techniques,materials,representations,etc.,while for internal issues e.g.individual cognition,consciousness,self-reflection,etc.,little literature has been reported and a systematic summary is absent.The author attempts to expand the possibilities of abstract art from traditional art studies to psychological studies as well as art therapy,since these fields are perceived as an emerging new discipline in China and are attracting more and more research interest.This dissertation aims to enrich the current research and theories of abstract art,focusing on art therapy and related fields.The objectives of this dissertation are:1.To analyze the levels of consciousness and split-brain experiment in transpersonal psychology,the triune brain model,symbol and non-symbol,consciousness and subconsciousness and their transformation process from perspective of brain consciousness.2.To explore and integrate consciousness level,art,psychological healing of art therapy from the perspective of consciousness and brain science.3.To summarize painting art therapy,focusing on its domestic and foreign development,key concepts,schools,and theories.4.To summarize abstract art from a psychological perspective,focusing on styles,consciousness and its development process.5.To analyze the relationship among artist,viewer,and artwork,based on the above summary of abstract art.6.To summarize the relationship between artistic creation and art therapy.7.To summarize painting art therapy in abstract art from below dimensions: convenience,acceptance,timeliness and authenticity,and to conduct the evidence-based case study.8.To summarize ideas of painting art therapy in abstract art,its convenience,acceptance,timeliness and authenticity,and to conduct the evidence-based case study.Three perspectives are stressed in this analysis:Based on the consciousness level theory in transpersonal psychology and brain consciousness process theory in brain science,this work analyzes how the transformation process between brain's subconsciousness and unconsciousness affect the formation and development of abstract art.1.To analyze the abstract consciousness through its development in art history in combination of thoughts and artwork styles.And to offer a multi-view presentation of abstract art through the summary of human consciousness development.2.To theoretically compare abstract style and figurative style.And to analyze the development of abstract style from consciousness(worldview)perspective,brain science perspective,psychological perspective,respectively.To clearly summarize the relationship between artist and artwork,the relationship between viewer and artwork,the relationship between artist and creation,from artistic style perspective,consciousness level perspective,and psychoanalysis perspective.3.To conduct case studies and artwork analysis focusing on the individual deep connection characteristics of painting art therapy in abstract art.Finally,the conclusion of this dissertation is to show that abstract art points to one's inner being,while the core of painting art therapy points to the inner resources deep in human being.Abstract art is becoming a bridge connecting art and psychology studies,therefore abstract art should be further expanded to help achieving the function and meaning of art,and to benefit more people,to make art reorienting itself on human being.