Book description
'This is a book to which the attention of students of art theory and
criticism, and all those interested in the important application of
psychoanalysis to other fields of study, should be drawn.
"Psychoanalytic Aesthetics" rethinks the classical account of
the relation between art and madness, creativity and psychoneurosis, and
the distinction between the primary and secondary processes. It covers a
great deal of ground and reviews many psychoanalytic writers
(predominantly of the British tradition) on aesthetics, as well as many
of the aestheticians using a psychoanalytic background. It is well
written and there is an impressive grasp of the many writers covered.
More than this, the book is also a work of psychoanalytic scholarship,
being a masterly overview of psychoanalytic schools of thought, and an
in-depth study of the British object-relations schools. It amply
achieves its overriding goal to demonstrate that the work of the British
School presents a significant contribution to psychoanalytic aesthetics
and criticism, updating Freud, Kris and the classical contributions to
the field. It is therefore potentially a very useful source book for
future scholars of both psychoanalysis and of aesthetics.' Robert D.
Hinshelwood, Psychoanalyst and Professor, Centre for Psychoanalytic
Studies, University of Essex
