The Human Condition: An Exploration into the Influence of Grief and Loss on Artistic Practice
May 2025
Fine Art BA (Hons)
The Human Condition:
An Exploration into the Influence of Grief and Loss on Artistic Practice
Fine Art (Hons)
Word Count: 6991
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Fine Art.
Duncan of Jordonstone College of Art and design
University of Dundee 2025
Abstract
This dissertation explores the relationship between grief and artistic expression, examining how art serves as a way to navigate loss and help in healing. It investigates the nature of grief, discussing the mourning of the dead, the living, and self Highlighting how artists have transformed their personal suffering into tangible works for other to relate to. Through analysis of historical and contemporary examples, including the works of Frida Kahlo, Tracy Emin, Yayoi Kusama, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres, this study shows the capacity of art to externalise emotions and provide release.
Additionally, the dissertation explores the therapeutic potential of art, focusing on how art therapy helps individuals in processing unresolved grief and ambiguous loss. Case studies, such as those from Hospice Wellington, illustrate the potential of combining art with narrative therapy, offering tools for emotional release.
List of Illustrations
Fig 1.1 Frida Kahlo “The Two Fridas” 1939, Oil on Canvas (174 × 173 cm) Image from The Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City (Museo de Arte Moderno) VIII
Fig 1.2 Detail, Frida Kahlo “The Two Fridas” 1939, Oil on Canvas Image: Dave Cooksey VIII
Fig 1.3 Detail, Frida Kahlo “The Two Fridas” 1939, Oil on Canvas Image: Dave Cooksey VIII
Fig 1.4 Frida Kahlo “Henry Ford Hospital” 1932, Oil on Metal (30.5 x 38 cm) Image from www.FridaKahlo.org....................................................................................................................... X
Fig 1.5 Frida Kahlo “The Broken Column” 1944, Oil on Masonite (39.8 x 30.6 cm) Image From www.fridakahlo.org XI
Fig 1.6 Tracy Emin “Homage to Edvard Munch and all My Dead Children” 1998, Video Still Image from Daily Art Fair ............................................................................................................................... XII
Fig 1.7 Edvard Munch “The Scream” 1910, Tempera on Cardboard Image from www.munchmuseet.no/en/The-Scream/ ...................................................................................... XIII
Fig 1.8-1.9 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone XV
Fig 1.10 -1.11-1.12 Stephanie Livingstone “The Game of Life” 2021, Card and Paper on Card Images from Stephanie Livingstone .................................................................................................................. XV
Fig 1.13 Stephanie Livingstone “Untitled” 2024, acrylic on paper Image from Stephanie Livingstone XVI
Fig 1.14 Stephanie Livingstone “Rebirth” 2023, etching and aquatinting Image from Stephanie Livingstone ................................................................................................................................................. XVI
Fig 1.15 Joan Mitchell “Untitled” 1964, oil on canvas Image from moma.org ...................................... XVII
Fig 2.1 David Hockney “Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy” 1970-71 Acrylic on canvas Image from Davidhockney.org XIX
Fig 2.2 David Hockney Self-Portrait, 1954, Collage on newsprint Image from npg.org.uk XIX
Fig 2.3 David Hockney Self-Portrait, 1983, Charcoal on paper Image from npg.org.uk.......................... XIX
Fig 2.4 David Hockney Self-Portrait, 2021, Acrylic on canvas Image from npg.org.uk ........................... XIX
Fig 2.5 Käthe Kollwitz “Killed in Action (Gefallen)” 1920, Lithograph Image from metmuseum.org .......... XX
Fig 2.6 Käthe Kollwitz “Soldiers’ Wives waving Farewell”, 2nd version, 1937/1938, Bronze Image from Kollwitz.de XX
Fig 2.7 Michelangelo “The Pieta” 1498-1500, Marble Image from www.italianrenaissance.org XXI
Fig 2.8 Felix Gonzalez-Torrez “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) 1991, Sweeties in variously coloured wrappers Image from www.artic.edu............................................................................................ XXII
Fig 2.9 Yayoi Kusama “Chandelier of Grief” 2016-2018, Chandelier, steel, aluminium, mirrored glass, acrylic, motor, plastic and leds Image from www.tate.org.uk XXIII
Fig 2.10 Yayoi Kusama “Filled with the Brilliance of Life” 2011-2017 Mirrored glass, wood, aluminium, plastic, ceramic and leds Image from www.tate.org.uk .................................................................. XXIV
Fig 3.1 Tony Gum “Sweet Saboteur” 2019, fuji crystal archival print Image from bubblegumclub.co.za XXVII
Fig 3.2 Claude Monet “Camille Monet on Her Deathbed” 1879. Oil on canvas Image from www.claudemonet.com XXX
Fig 3.3 Augustus Saint-Gaudens “Adams Memorial” 1891, Bronze Image from www.nps.gov XXXI
Fig 3.4 Multiple Contributors “The AIDS Memorial Quilt” Image from www.aidsmemorial.org .............XXXII
Fig 3.5 Multiple Contributors “The AIDS Memorial Quilt” Displayed in the National Mall in Washington Image from www.nytimes.com XXXIII
Introduction
Loss is something people like to ignore. Not only do you mourn the person that was, but you also need to mourn the potential future that you could have experienced under different circumstances.
Art has always been a vessel of expression. This dissertation seeks to explore how grief affects this expression. How various types of grief impacts the practice of artists. It will touch upon how different circumstances may create diverse artistic responses. Exploring how loss in different circumstances can also cause grief such as romantic loss and estrangement.
Looking at the relationship between grief and art is both a personal and a universal experience. Works by artists like Frida Kahlo and Tracy Emin provide an insight to the power of creativity. Kahlo's extremely personal pieces, such as “The Two Fridas”, “Henry Ford Hospital” and “The Broken Column” show her efforts to process her pain, from physical to emotional wounds inflicted by love and loss. These works offer a window into her world but also resonate with the viewers, speaking to the broad human experience of suffering.
Exploring how grief is expressed and processed through artistic mediums, investigating the historical, contemporary, and my personal experience. This dissertation will examine art's ability to confront not only traditional loss but the ambiguous forms of grief that lack closure or resolution.
I shall be considering the idea of “Ambiguous Loss”. A term the psychologist Pauline Boss came up with to describe the pain of losing a loved one that may be physically present but psychologically absent, as seen in cases of dementia, mental illness, or addiction. Or cases where the loved one is physically absent but psychologically present such as divorce, adoption, loss due to war or kidnapping.
I will also be discussing the concept of art therapy, therapy that merges creative expression with psychological healing. I will incorporate case studies and academic journals, examining how art therapy helps people in navigating their grief For example, the Hospice Wellington program shows how combining a narrative therapy with artistic creation allows for emotional release and a greater understanding of their experience.
By splitting grief into the mourning of the dead, the living, and self, I aim to bring light to the complexities of loss and draw attention to the psychological and emotional dimensions of grief, such as the loss of identity following a loved one’s death or the mourning of relationships changed by mental illness or addiction. Artists like Yayoi Kusama, whose immersive installations reflect her struggles with mental illness, and
Käthe Kollwitz, whose works with wartime loss, show the range of ways grief can be expressed through creative means.
This dissertation highlights the societal aspects of grief, exploring how collective mourning forms communities. The AIDS Memorial Quilt serves as an example, demonstrating how art can transform personal tragedies into a shared narrative of strength. This connection of the personal and the collective emphasises the importance of art in developing empathy particularly in times of widespread loss.
Chapter one
Mourning and Artistic Practice
Analysis in a Historical and Contemporary Context
Frida Kahlo
Fig 1.1 Frida Kahlo “The Two Fridas” 1939, Oil on Canvas (174 × 173 cm)
Image from The Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City (Museo de Arte Moderno)
Fig 1.1 Frida Kahlo “The Two Fridas” 1939, Oil on Canvas (174 × 173 cm) Image from The
Fig 1.2 Detail, Frida Kahlo “The Two Fridas” 1939, Oil on Canvas
Image: Dave Cooksey
Fig 1.3 Detail, Frida Kahlo “The Two Fridas” 1939, Oil on Canvas
Image: Dave Cooksey
Frida Kahlo's “The Two Fridas” (1939) is an expression of the loss and emotional pain she felt following her divorce from Diego Rivera (“The Two Fridas...”, N/A) The double selfportrait shows two versions of Kahlo, one dressed in traditional Mexican attire in connection to her Mexican identity and her relationship with Rivera and the other in more European style clothing symbolising a more independent, modern self (Frida Kahlo, N/A). The two Fridas are connected by an artery, with the heart of the European Frida exposed and bleeding, symbolising Kahlo’s emotional struggles at the time as this is the version of Frida that was rejected by Rivera.
The shared artery that connects the two Fridas is a symbol of emotional connection and pain. Blood flows from the artery as it is severed using surgical scissors by the modern version of Frida. This signifies the raw emotional pain Kahlo felt following her separation and perhaps her deeper grief, including the multiple physical traumas she had throughout her life. The loss of her love is shown as a bleeding wound, physically draining her of life, reflecting the psychological and physical toll it takes on her. The painting speaks to the broad subject of loss as it is not limited to death and romantic separation but encompassing Kahlo’s experiences of bodily pain, miscarriages, and medical complications. A loss of self.
The other Frida, connected to her cultural roots, holds a small portrait of Rivera, a lingering emotional attachment to him and their past (Du Plessis, A. 2022). Meanwhile, the modern Frida is disconnected from this attachment symbolised by the severed artery spilling onto her white clothing (Wolfe, S. N/A). This suggests that Kahlo’s grief was not only rooted in the loss of love but also in the loss of a sense of wholeness within herself. The way she knew herself was centred around Rivera. There was also a diary entry she made that confirmed this “Diego = my husband, Diego = my friend, Diego = my mother, Diego = my father, Diego = my son, Diego = me, Diego = Universe.” (Ashraf, A. 2021). Her love for him was her universe and losing him meant she also lost part of herself.
The piece “Henry Ford Hospital” (Fig 1.4) also explores Fridas grief, this painting was created after a miscarriage she had while in Detroit (Pregnancy Loss…, 2010). The painting communicates her grief over the loss of her child and the difficulty of not being at home when it happened. Seen through the desert like background Kahlo had created a sort of abandoned waste land. Kahlo had always wanted to become a mother but the injuries she sustained in her earlier life made this impossible. This painting is not just about a singular experience of grief but Kahlo’s broader experience, her inability to carry a child to term, reflecting a sense of failure and mourning of the life she envisioned herself.
This piece can be seen as a release for Kahlo. Through her art she shapes her grief into something realised, making it into something that can be seen, acknowledged, and
understood. The act of painting this scene and its symbolic depth allowed her to process her loss directly. By doing this Kahlo expresses her grief and gains control over it, turning her pain into art (“Henry Ford Hospital…”, N/A).
Image from www.FridaKahlo.org
“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”
-Frida Kahlo (Garcia, V. N/A)
Frida Kahlo’s The Broken Column (Fig 1.5) was created to symbolise her pain and suffering after being in a bus accident (The Broken Column, 1944 by Frida Kahlo, N/A), which I mentioned briefly earlier in this dissertation, in which she sustained injuries to her abdomen. That resulted in Kahlo having spinal surgery, suffering from chronic pain and unable to carry a child to term. It shows her physical and emotional pain also her profound grief over the loss of her fertility.
Traditionally, a column serves as a pillar of support, much like the spine in the body. This could be taken as a literal representation of her fractured spine or could represent her loss of fertility, a fracture in the continuity of family. Its crumbling state speaks to the irreversible damage to her body and her dreams of becoming a mother
Fig 1.4 Frida Kahlo “Henry Ford Hospital” 1932, Oil on Metal (30.5 x 38 cm)
The landscape takes on new meaning when considering her infertility. The lifeless terrain reflects her inability sustain life within her own body. The landscape becomes an extension of her identity as a woman facing the pain of being unable to conceive a child (Art: The Broken Column, N/A).
Kahlo’s interpretation of grief over her fertility adds another layer of complexity to the painting. It’s not only a depiction of physical suffering but also of the pain of infertility.
Image From www.fridakahlo.org
Fig 1.5 Frida Kahlo “The Broken Column” 1944, Oil on Masonite (39.8 x 30.6 cm)
Tracy Emin and Edvard Munch
Emin created a video performance piece in 1998 “Homage to Edvard Munch and All My Dead Children” (Fig 1.6). This work is centred around release and catharsis, she screams for around a minute to attempt to free her rage and built-up anger (Gilpin, W. 2020). She is releasing her emotions not only from her terminated pregnancies but what she went through after her miscarriage. The wording of the title is also a reminder that this type of grief is real and painful, using the term “dead children” to emphasise her experience as a genuine and profoundly difficult loss.
Emin’s body becomes a direct vessel for her pain and as she is performing in the nude there is an added vulnerability, like the way Edvard Munch uses the expressive bodies in his works to convey existentialism, Emin uses her own.
“I had spent days crying. My eyes hurt: they were swollen puffy balls. I hadn’t eaten or slept properly in weeks and there I was, in Norway, paying homage to my favourite painting. But paying homage wasn’t enough, I wanted to jump inside the picture and cradle the Scream in my arms. Another lost soul.”
-Tracy Emin
Fig 1.6 Tracy Emin “Homage to Edvard Munch and all My Dead Children” 1998, Video Still
Image from Daily Art Fair
Grief is a human experience that many can relate to, a difficult part of living and allowing yourself to be completely enveloped in the feeling is torturous. Even if the circumstances are different from Emin’s by creating this piece her viewers can come to terms with their own pain and recognize that it is a human experience although it is a painful one.
Fig 1.7 Edvard Munch “The Scream” 1910, Tempera on Cardboard Image from www.munchmuseet.no/en/The-Scream/
The Scream (Fig 1.7) is often seen as an expression of dread. Munch said the inspiration came when he was out walking and “the sun was setting…I felt a breath of melancholy…Suddenly the sky turned blood-red…I felt a great, infinite scream through nature.” (“The Great Scream”, N/A). This “scream” was his reaction to feeling vulnerable in mortality. This sense of isolation and dread could come from his grief
His life was encased with heartbreak, he lost his mother and one of his sisters when he was young, his father had depression and died in 1889 (“Art analysis: The Scream…”,N/A), one of his sisters was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was put into a psychiatric hospital and his brother died in 1895. Munch also struggled with his own mental health and with alcoholism (Okun, A. 2024)
"Illness, madness, and death were the black angels that kept watch over my cradle and accompanied me all my life."- Edvard Munch
Munch experienced physical loss but he also delt with a form of ambiguous loss, which I will discuss later in this dissertation in more detail Simply put this is when physically the person is still there but psychologically the person is absent, in the case of Munch this would be his sister as her mind was consumed by her mental condition. This form of loss is often harder to deal with as it is more difficult to understand and accept how a person can be gone when they are still physically there.
Analysis in a Personal Context
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Fig 1.8-1.9 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Figure 0 50Fig 1.7 1.8 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Fig 1.7
Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Figure
51Fig 1.7 1.8 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Fig 1.
Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Figure 0 52Fig 1.7 1.8 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Fig 1.7
Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Figure 0 53Fig 1.7 1.8 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Fig 1.8-1.9 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Figure 0 54Fig 1.7-1.8 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Fig 1.7-1.8 Stephanie Livingstone Untitled works, 2020, acrylic on canvas
Fig 1.10 -1.11-1.12 Stephanie Livingstone “The Game of Life” 2021, Card and Paper on Card Images from Stephanie Livingstone
Figure 0.58Fig 1.9 -1.10-1.11 Stephanie Livingstone “The Game of Life” 2021, Card and Paper on Card Images from Stephanie Livingstone
from
I experienced my own ambiguous loss of one of my uncles. He struggled with drug use and mental health difficulties. He was this way most of my life but just before I started university he started getting better and seeking help. Unfortunately, he slipped back and lost his battle and took his own life in 2021 My art had a shift from what was my usual paintings of landscapes (Fig 1.8-1.9) to a more conceptual and some abstractive route (Fig 1.10-1.11-1.11). During this time I was mostly wrapping my head around the circumstances of his death. Trying to come to terms with the loss and that there was no way of knowing the real person he was. While also understanding that he wanted to go My art became an escape, I started to create works that would be repetitive and time consuming and I would go into a state of flow where my art would allow me to focus while also allowing me to take a step back from my grief. It lightened a heavy feeling.
This state of flow is not uncommon the artist Josie Lewis (TEDx Talks. 2020) used art this way to cope with the loss of her child She clarified that she always enjoyed feeling the flow state, but it wasn’t a necessity until she
Fig 1.14 Stephanie Livingstone “Rebirth” 2023, etching and aquatinting
Image from Stephanie Livingstone
Fig 1.13 Stephanie Livingstone “Untitled” 2024, acrylic on paper
Image
Stephanie Livingstone
lost her baby. There is a stigma around using art in this way, a friend of hers who also experienced a loss got upset when using art to help her pain was suggested. There is a juvenile idea around art therapy. Art is often linked with creativity, a trait associated to children. Kids instinctively express themselves through drawing, painting, and other activities, which some adults might view as "childish." Art involves imagination and experimentation, which can look playful and non-serious. This might lead some to dismiss art as lacking the seriousness of the other ways to deal with grief. Lewis’s art isn’t associated to grief in subject, It’s the process that allows her to relax and have time away from grief to process emotions in a controlled way.
Then in 2023 I lost another of my uncles to cancer. I found myself feeling more anger. I had more understanding of my other uncle’s death and him not wanting to live the life he had but this death was harsher. I continued with work that provided a flow state, I started learning intaglio print making and aquatinting but I also started to create intuitive works that are a lot more gestural (Fig 1.13). The gestural work I created was a release, the process of creating them was very cathartic. Being able to sit with the thoughts and emotions and put them out onto the world helped with coming to acceptance The artist Joan Mitchell creates art in a similar way During 1960-64 she experienced the death of her father and her mother got diagnosed with cancer. Her work became “very violent and angry paintings” in her own words. Her colour palette changed to a gloomier one. Often being a series of paintings (Fig 1.15) (E.M.P, N/A).
Fig 1.15 Joan Mitchell “Untitled” 1964, oil on canvas Image from moma.org
Figure 0 82Fig 1.15 Joan Mitchell “Untitled” 1964, oil on canvas Image from moma.org
Fig 1.15 Joan Mitchell “Untitled” 1964, oil on canvas Image from moma.org
Figure 0 83Fig 1.15 Joan Mitchell “Untitled” 1964, oil on canvas Image from moma.org
Chapter Two
The Diverse Categories of Grief: “Ambiguous Loss”
Dr Pauline Boss is a leading family therapist and is known for her research into the two forms of ambiguous loss (Boss. P, N/A). The concept is a loss that the physical being is gone but they still have a psychological presence, for example when a person has gone missing or if they are removed from your life through divorce or adoption. The person is alive but is gone from your life leaving you to still grieve as if they had passed. There are more tragic examples such as war and kidnapping The other is when the physical person is still present but they’re psychologically absent, some examples of that are diseases such as dementia or brain injuries, addictions and mental disorders This type of ambiguous loss also refers to losses people cannot make sense of such as suicides or infant deaths (Boss. P, N/A, FAQ).
The way this is different from an ordinary loss is that there is no sort of closure for the people that deal with the grief. There is no assurance that the person will come back or that they will go back to the way they used to be. It is a lot more difficult to accept the loss when there is no certainty surrounding the situation.
Ambiguous loss often results in a sense of unresolved grief, this leads to a lot of emotional strain and anxiety. It can also lead down a path of hopelessness causing depression.
It also impacts future relationships immensely, the feelings or obligations a person had to the person lost may come between creating new relationships predominantly with romantic partners due to the loyalty of the past. When roles within a relationship change so extremely individuals may experience a sense of identity loss in future relationships, it can be difficult to go from their role as a caregiver back to a spouse
Traditions such as funerals provide a sense of closure that helps people process and accept loss. However, with ambiguous loss that may not be possible, which then leaves people to be stuck in emotional limbo.
Mourning of the Living
The Artist and painter David Hockney experienced the psychological loss of his friend Ossie Clark a fashion designer before the physical death of Clark in 1996. Hockney was Clarks best man at his wedding to Cecilia Birtwell. Fig 2.1 was painted by Hockney just after their wedding (“Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy”, N/A). They were only married for three years and there were rumours of some infidelity. In the seventies Clark had suffered from a nervous breakdown that was only made worse by his addiction to psychiatric drugs (“OSSIE CLARK…”, N/A). He got back into his work in the eighties but lack of interest and money led to another breakdown.
If we look at Hockney’s self-portraits from around the time (“David Hockney…”. N/A) (Fig 2.3) compared to before and after (Fig 2.2 – 2.4) one can see that they are more sombre during the time of his friend’s struggle. Although this work isn’t directly related to the loss or grief you can see that it affected his practice and how he saw himself.
Image from David-hockney.org
Image from npg.org.uk
Image from npg.org.uk
Image from npg.org.uk
Fig 2.1 David Hockney “Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy” 1970-71 Acrylic on canvas
Fig 2.1 David Hockney “Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy” 1970
Fig 2.2 David Hockney SelfPortrait, 1954, Collage on newsprint
Fig 2.3 David Hockney SelfPortrait, 1983, Charcoal on paper
Fig 2.4 David Hockney SelfPortrait, 2021, Acrylic on canvas
Mourning of the Dead
Fig 2.5 Käthe Kollwitz “Killed in Action (Gefallen)” 1920, Lithograph
Image from metmuseum.org
Figure 0.41Fig 2.5 Käthe Kollwitz “Killed in Action (Gefallen)”
Fig 2.6 Käthe Kollwitz “Soldiers’ Wives waving Farewell”, 2nd version, 1937/1938, Bronze
Image from Kollwitz.de
Many artists have experiences with these types of losses and used art as a way of helping to process them. For example, Käthe Kollwitz.
Käthe Kollwitz was a German artist, she was born in 1867 and lived to 1945 through the first and majority of the second world war. Kollwitz’s youngest son had volunteered for the war and was killed while fighting in Belgium in October of 1914 (Mahler. L, 2016).
She then used her practice to not only to help her in her own grief but also to show people that they were not alone in theirs. Her work became centred around mourning. Fig 2.5 expresses the pain she felt when her son was killed, the figure has her head in her hands while being surrounded by children with faces of fear. Fig 2.6 shows her empathy for the other women that had to go through similar events.
At the time of her practicing art everyone could relate to this type of grief and the fear that goes with it. She then had to deal with her grandson having the same fate as her son during World War two (“Käthe Kollwitz” N/A)
Another example of a mother’s loss can be seen in Michelangelo’s Pieta, although this is a depiction as opposed to a response to personal loss, I think the immense emotion it conveys should be discussed.
Michelangelo's Pietà (Fig 2.7) effectively captures an image of the virgin Mary holding the body of her son Jesus after his crucifixion. The work evokes deep emotional reactions through its subject and the impressive detail created in the marble sculpture.
Michelangelo's Mary expresses a quiet grief. Her peaceful face implies a kind of endless mourning, transcending time and adding a divine perspective. This can be taken as a representation of Marys acceptance even as she experiences the profound sadness of losing her son Her eyes avoid the viewer, drawing us into her emotions. Her expression balances pain, acceptance, and love, conveying an understanding of grief that is personal and universal (“Michelangelo’s Pieta”, 2012).
Fig 2.7 Michelangelo “The Pieta” 1498-1500, Marble
Michelangelo’s decision to portray Mary as a young woman could indicate her purity but it may also suggest that this sort of profound loss feels like time is frozen. Mary's face shows no age, embodying the timelessness of her grief. Mary’s left hand is open as though presenting her son to the viewer, encouraging the viewer to reflect on the scale of her loss. Her right hand holds the body carefully showing both the physical weight of death and the emotional pain she carries.
Pietà forces the viewer to empathise with Mary’s grief. The work’s beauty and tranquillity offers a space for reflection and connection with their own experiences of loss.
Expressions of loss can come in various ways. An example of a more abstract piece was created by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) (Fig 2.8) The piece is a pile of wrapped sweeties that starts of weighing 175 pounds the healthy weight of his late partner (“”Untitled” (Portrait…”, N/A), Ross Laycock who in 1991 died from complications from AIDS. As the viewers take the sweeties that are representative of Ross Laycock’s physical body, the pile gradually diminishes. Symbolising how Ross’s body was consumed by illness, the slow decline and the unavoidability of his death
Fig 2.8 Felix Gonzalez-Torrez “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) 1991, Sweeties in variously coloured wrappers
Image from www.artic.edu
The shrinking pile is a visual metaphor for the fragility and impermanence of life. It reflects the process of illness and death This theme is universal, inviting viewers to reflect on their own lives and relationships. The bright, colourful wrappers convey joy and happiness, contrasting the feeling of mourning. This duality encapsulates the relationship of Gonzalez-Torres with Ross a life full of love, even in the face of illness and loss. Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) is a powerful reflection of love and loss, as well as a demonstration of the strength of human connection
Mourning of Self
Fig 2.9 Yayoi Kusama “Chandelier of Grief” 2016-2018, Chandelier, steel, aluminium, mirrored glass, acrylic, motor, plastic and leds
Image from www.tate.org.uk
While discussing the grief that others have felt from their loved ones changing due to their mental state I also wanted to touch on how it affects the person that is suffering from that mental issue. Mental illness can be managed and can be lived with, Yayoi Kusama had experienced hallucinations and obsessive tendencies and has used art as a form of therapy
“My artwork is an expression of my life, particularly of my mental disease,”
-Yayoi Kusama, Interview with Grady T. Turner, Bomb Magazine (T. Turner, Grady, 1999)
She had a turbulent upbringing in Japan during World War II with conflict within her family, societal constraints and the trauma of the war. Her mother disapproved of her art, often scolding her for pursuing it (“True Superhero…” N/A). These experiences caused a sense of alienation and a fascination with mortality and impermanence. (Tate, 2021)
Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirror Rooms” are among her most renowned works. Immersing viewers in an environment that echoes the vastness of human emotion allows them to lose themselves within the mirrored spaces by combining light, repetition and reflection. Kusama transforms her personal experiences of trauma and mental illness into collective piece on loss and identity. Taking direct inspiration from the hallucinations she has experienced that often involve patterns, dots and lights that surround her (Glover, M , 2021).
Fig 2.10 Yayoi Kusama “Filled with the Brilliance of Life” 2011-2017 Mirrored glass, wood, aluminium, plastic, ceramic and leds Image from www.tate.org.uk
Both installations (Fig 2.9-2.10) use mirrors to melt the barriers between the self and the space, showing that her experience is all-encompassing. “Chandelier of Grief” (Fig 2.9) surrounds the viewer a mirrored room with a chandelier that rotates slowly, casting light across the space. The chandelier’s elegance paralleled with the emotions suggested by the title, creates an installation that shows both beauty and sorrow. Despite its
melancholic undertones, the chandeliers extravagance suggests that even within grief there is gratitude of the depth and beauty of human experience.
Contrasting with the “Chandelier of Grief”, “Filled with the Brilliance of Life” (Fig 2.10) emits a sense of awe and wonder. This room is filled with suspended LEDs creating an immersive environment, it places you in a void, free from reality and surrounded by an infinite vastness of colourful twinkling lights. While grief is still a subject in this work it is as part of the beauty of life, a recognition that we get to experience life and human connection even if we one day may have to experience the loss of that connection. The blinking lights symbolise the passing moments that give the human experience meaning. The lights appear fading in and out of the void, much like our memories, forcing the viewer to contemplate the fragility of the human mind.
“Chandelier of Grief” explores the reflective and isolating experience of mourning, using the darkness the mirrors create to evoke a sense of weight and loss. Whereas “Filled with the Brilliance of Life” emphasises light and connection using mirrors to create a celestial feeling while celebrating life’s fleeting moments and the impact they have.
Chapter Three
Art as Grief Therapy
The personal and overwhelming experience of grief is marked by a range of emotions. Art therapy is a technique that helps deal with these emotions and combines creative expression with healing, providing a unique way to process grief.
Through creating, whether that be painting, drawing, sculpting, or collaging, people can explore and process feelings that may be too difficult to express in words. Art therapy offers a way to externalise their pain and confront their loss.
By engaging in this process, people not only can express and release their emotions but also find ways to heal and grow.
Academic Journals and Investigations
Art Therapy for Complicated Grief: A Focus on Meaning-Making Approaches - Sherry L. Beaumont
This journal (Beaumont.S.L, 2013) article explores the role of art therapy in tackling complicated grief, a form of grief characterised by emotional numbness and a disrupted sense of meaning. Unlike “normal” grief, complicated grief does not diminish over time without therapy and has symptoms much like depression and PTSD.
The historical “grief work” theory believes that actively processing grief through catharsis is universally beneficial. Beaumont brings attention to this approach and explains that it has challenged by recent research which shows varying responses of grief are more common than previously believed. Many individuals adapt on their own without grief
therapy, while some benefit more from therapy like those who deal with complicated grief although all individuals would benefit with help from therapy.
Beaumont reasons that art therapy is uniquely suited to understanding their own narratives. It’s non-verbal nature allows people to externalise their emotions and rebuild their experience with grief Visual storyboards allow people to depict their life stories through artwork, combining the loss within a broader narrative and allowing them to visualise their lives as a whole instead of focusing on their loss. Phototherapy is using family photographs to connect with their loss and reframe memories positively. Expressive art activities techniques like body tracings and creating symbolic images help people process and pinpoint the sensations and interpret the feelings they have while discussing their loss.
One example includes a woman that while looking through photos reinterpreted a shadowy figure in an ultrasound image of her stillborn child. By using this artistically the woman could reshape its meaning, at first she saw the figure as an angel of death and this made her question the fairness of the world making her sadness greater but the figure then shifted to an angel, this allowed her to feel more hope and acceptance.
Beaumont links art therapy methods with grief concepts such as constructivist, when people created their own reality, and narrative approaches that allow them to explain their story and analyse what may differ from reality. The article highlights fitting therapies to individual grief responses as emotional healing varies from person to person. Case studies show how art therapy can help healing. For instance, the use of photos and storyboards to help people to envision a hopeful future.
Beaumont concludes that art therapy, combined with narrative and meaning making is a great tool for treating grief. It provides a way for people to visualise their grief and externalise their emotions However, its success hinges on creating a safe environment and respecting individual differences in the grieving process.
Reclaiming the Space: Art Therapy & Post-Abortion Experience through an Intersectional Feminist Lens - Natalia Talamagka
The article (Talamagka, N. 2023) by Natalia Talamagka explores how art therapy supports individuals navigating post-abortion experiences. It analyses abortion narratives in social and political settings and the stigmatisation of abortion, particularly in patriarchal societies. Also addressing the complicated emotions associated with abortions.
Talamagka discusses art therapy as a way for people to process grief. Using examples from contemporary art, including the works of artist Tony Gum in particular her exhibition named “A Portion”. The piece “Sweet Saboteur” (Fig 3.1) featuring in this exhibition was discussed in an interview by Dale Berning Sawa.
Fig 3.1 Tony Gum “Sweet Saboteur” 2019, fuji crystal archival print
Image from bubblegumclub.co.za
“Sweet Saboteur, was inspired by a painting I did last November, during a particularly difficult time in my life. The year before, I had fallen pregnant and, unable to keep the baby, I had had an abortion. I was of course very sad at the time but I couldn’t really talk about it. It was only when the anniversary of the termination came round that I started dealing with the psychological fallout. Making this body of work was part of that process.
The two figures speak to my two warring selves. I was in an unstable, indecisive state, hence the hopeless figure on the left, crying and in pain. At the same time, the real me lingered and longed to be better, which the figure on the right, the hopeful one, represents. She is stronger, wiping away the other’s tears.” – Tony Gum, Interview with Dale Berning Sawa, The Guardian (Berning Sawa, D, 2019)
The paper shows how art can externalise inner battles. Gum’s self-portraiture, for instance, is highlighted as a way to explore duality and resilience in the face of loss. Through personal reflections Talamagka demonstrates how art therapy can become a platform for people to reconstruct their experiences.
Natalia Talamagka’s article is a thought-provoking contribution to the field of art therapy. The paper confronts the stigmatised narratives of abortions and advocates for a more inclusive therapeutic approach. The integration of art therapy as a way to address "invisible loss" and reconstruct personal narratives offers a path toward healing that respects individual identity.
Exploring the Impacts of an Art and Narrative Therapy Program on Participants’ Grief and Bereavement Experiences-Karen Nelson
This paper (Nelson, K, 2024), much like the previous paper, explores the potential of combining art and narrative therapies to help individuals in processing grief. The research focuses on a 12-week program hosted by Hospice Wellington, aimed at addressing grief through creative and reflective practices.
Art therapy was developed as a way for people who were struggling to communicate their emotions through traditional means to express it in an alternative way. Participants stated,
“Art therapy is for when you cannot grasp the words to explain outwardly the feelings you have, the art speaks for you.” - Hospice Wellington Art Therapy Participant
“The merging of therapy with art was remarkable.”- Hospice Wellington Art Therapy Participant
This allowed the participants to channel their feelings into something tangible, creating a sense of release and clarity. This encouraged reflection, with many of the participants
describing the process as both therapeutic and empowering, allowing them to confront their grief.
The combination of narrative therapy and art therapy furthered the effectiveness of the programme. Participants used writing and storytelling to help in understanding their grief experiences, which proved to be as effective as the art itself. Some believed that the writing was more effective.
“The art was good, but the writing was what did it. The prompts were poignant, and they helped you dig deeper and process your experience of grief.”- Hospice Wellington Art Therapy Participant
Others believed the art is what helped the most.
“It asked you to take your grief and do something with it. I could sit there and look at all the problems, and I could turn it around and pick at it. This asked me to do something different; it asked me to try and change the shape of it – it was almost a physical experience.” - Hospice Wellington Art Therapy Participant
By intertwining their stories, participants not only gained a deeper understanding of their emotions but also found a way share their journeys in a safe and supportive environment.
An important part of the program was emphasising social connections among participants. The group setting provided a space for people to connect with others experiencing grief, taking away the isolation and loneliness that often comes with grief. One participant spoke on the importance of this communal aspect.
“There is huge, huge power in being with other people whose experiences have been similar to yours.” - Hospice Wellington Art Therapy Participant
Many found comfort in hearing other people’s experiences, which encouraged them to be more open about their own experiences. As I have discussed earlier in this dissertation grief also reshapes a person’s own identity, leaving them to question their sense of self.
“It was a loss of my identity. Who am I if I’m not a mom? I didn’t know, and now I’m starting to know.” - Hospice Wellington Art Therapy Participant
The program encouraged people to look inwards allowing them to find their identities and rebuild their sense of self. Showing that art therapy not only works well on its own but becomes incredibly effective when paired with a narrative aspect.
Expression and Catharsis
Using art to relieve and process grief is nothing new. For both artists and viewers, it provides a space to navigate the emotions associated with loss, transforming personal grief into a shared cathartic experience. Many artists channel their grief into their work, using art as expression and catharsis. Their works speak to others deeply, offering understanding to those who view them.
Image from www.claude-monet.com
Fig 3.2 Claude Monet “Camille Monet on Her Deathbed” 1879. Oil on canvas
The hazy, dreamlike quality of Claude Monet's “Camille on Her Deathbed” (Fig 3.2) shows Monet’s emotional state and the line between life and death. He has used soft, muted tones, the work conveys life fading and the attempt to hold onto her spirit one last time. Making this piece an intimate and heart-wrenching portrayal of grief. The painting serves as a personal memorial of his late wife while also illustrating grief in a wider context (“Camille Monet…”, N/A).
Image from www.nps.gov
This sculpture (Fig 3.3) was created to memorialise the life of Marian Hooper Adams, commissioned by her husband. The work radiating both calmness and deep sadness. Saint-Gaudens captures the duality of grief through the serene combined with emotional pain. The sculpture has no likeness to Marian Adams allowing viewers to project their own experiences of loss onto the figure. Its placement in Rock Creek Cemetery creates a
Fig 3.3 Augustus Saint-Gaudens “Adams Memorial” 1891, Bronze
contemplative atmosphere, making it a timeless representation of mourning and remembrance (“Adams Memorial”, 2024).
Art often serves as a way of remembering and honouring those who have passed. By creating tributes artists can preserve memories and find comfort in commemorating their loved ones.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt (Fig 3.4) is a moving example. This artwork is made up of panels created by the friends and families of those who lost their battle with AIDS. Each piece stitched into the fabric tells a story (“THE HISTORY…”, N/A).
from www.aidsmemorial.org
Figure 0 25Fig 3.4 Multiple Contributors “The AIDS Memorial Quilt” Image from www.aidsmemorial.org
The quilt covers 1.2 million square feet when fully displayed (Fig 3.5). It serves as an act of remembrance and bringing awareness to the struggles faced by those affected by HIV/AIDS. When displayed this piece offers viewers an opportunity to honour the lives lost and to reflect on the impact of the epidemic. Its collaborative nature emphasises the power of collective mourning, turning individual grief into a shared narrative of resilience and hope.
“I feel very strongly that this is perhaps one of the most democratic memorials in existence because it’s literally made by the people for the people they love,”
- Julie Rhoad, President of the NAMES project foundation, Interview with the New York Times (Messman, L, 2019)
Fig 3.4 Multiple Contributors “The AIDS Memorial Quilt” Image
These examples demonstrate that art provides a powerful, cathartic space for healing and collective mourning. Through creative expression, grief is not only processed but also shared, developing understanding and connection for those who experience loss.
Fig 3.5 Multiple Contributors “The AIDS Memorial Quilt” Displayed in the National Mall in Washington Image from www.nytimes.com
0.33Fig 3.5 Multiple Contributors “The AIDS Memorial Quilt” Displayed in the National Mall
Figure
Conclusion
Grief is one of the most complex human experiences, touching every life in personal yet also shared ways. It embodies a range of emotions, from sadness and anger to longing and hope, often challenging the traditional narratives about loss. Art is a great tool for navigating the sensitive landscape that comes with loss, offering people a way to process, express and transform their grief. The works discussed in this dissertation, that cover historical, contemporary, and personal contexts, highlight art’s ability to make the intangible tangible, to externalise and communicate the often internalised experience of loss.
Essential to this exploration is the understanding that grief is a unique experience. It varies widely by cultural, societal, and personal influences. It manifests in different forms such as mourning the dead, the living, and self. Each form of grief carries its own challenges, but all share the experience of emotional upheaval and the search for meaning. Through art, these experiences can be made into a narrative that can resonate across individual and collective boundaries. For example, Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits reveal her struggles with both physical and emotional pain and the unfulfilled desire of becoming a mother. In works like “The Two Fridas” she is able to transform her pain into something that can be perceived, inviting viewers to confront their own pain and losses.
Similarly, Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ piece, “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), turns mourning into a poetic metaphor, where a shrinking pile of wrapped sweets imitates the fragility of life and the inevitable passage of time. Such works highlight the power of art in translating personal grief into expressions that invite empathy and understanding. Art becomes a bridge, connecting the private with the public, allowing for shared mourning and collective healing.
Art’s therapeutic potential has been a focal point of this dissertation, particularly in the context of ambiguous loss. Ambiguous loss often lacks closure, leaving individuals trapped their emotional state of grief. Through art therapy, these individuals find ways to externalise their pain and explore their emotions. Programs like the Hospice Wellington initiative demonstrated the impact of combining art and narrative therapy, participants often describe the experience as transformative, as it allows them to express their grief in ways that words alone cannot.
Additionally, this dissertation has shown how grief shapes, and is shaped by, societal and cultural narratives. Collective mourning, as shown by the AIDS Memorial Quilt, illustrates how art can exceed individual experiences, creating a space for communal reflection and remembrance. The quilt of personal stories stitched together, serves not only as a tribute to lives lost but also raising awareness of the disease. This interaction
between personal and collective grief highlights the social dimensions of mourning, reminding us that art is not only a medium of personal catharsis but also for a collective conversation.
The recurrent nature of grief has also been a theme, particularly in the works of Yayoi Kusama. Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms and Chandelier of Grief encapsulate the duality of isolation and connection, reminding viewers that grief does not have an endpoint but is an ongoing journey.
Through these examples, this dissertation confirms art’s role in helping the grieving process. It honours the courage of artists who transform their pain into art works that resonate with others, creating spaces for reflection and healing. It also celebrates the resilience of individuals who turn to art in their darkest moments, finding in it not just comfort but a means of processing their loss.
Ultimately, this exploration highlights grief, as painful and isolating as it can be, is also proof of the depth of human connection. It speaks to our capability to love deeply and to feel intensely.
In conclusion, this dissertation celebrates the role of art in the human experience of grief. It affirms art’s ability to transform pain into meaning and isolation into connection. Through the works and practices explored here, we are reminded of the strength of the human soul and the power of creativity to guide us through even our darkest moments.
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