Archetypal Art History: A Visual Exploration of Collective Transformations

A Workshop with Jeffrey T. Kiehl

... art is a symbolic expression of the collective unconscious and, although it is essentially a representation of symbols close to consciousness, it has a decisive therapeutic function for the life of the group.

--Erich Neumann (1951)

In this workshop, we explore how specific art forms appear at critical historical moments leading to a collective transformation of psyche. Jung used the terms "Spirit of the Times" and "Spirit of the Depths" to describe two forms of our being in the world. We will explore how through artistic image the Spirit of the Depths manifests itself in the Spirit of the Times. We consider specific periods in Western history to provide evidence for how art presages collective cultural transformation. The workshop concludes by considering what emerging art forms may be telling us about our present archetypal moment in history.

Jeffrey Kiehl, Ph.D., is a Diplomate Jungian Analyst and senior training analyst for the C.G. Jung Institute of Colorado and the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. He is the author of Facing Climate Change: An Integrated Path to the Future, which provides a Jungian perspective on climate change. He has also published articles on “U.S. Cultural Complexes and Climate Change,” “The Green Man and Climate Change,” “The Archetypal Dimensions of Comic Books,” and “The Nature of Uncertainty/The Uncertainty of Nature.” Jeffrey’s interests include the relationship between psyche and matter, alchemy, and consciousness studies. He lives in Santa Cruz, CA.