Biography of Florence Cane, Art Therapist

Running head: FLORENCE CANE – ART THERAPIST

Florence Cane Art Therapist

Florence Cane was first an artist and art teacher who used her love of art to work with children and adults to not only improve their art skills, but their lives. She believed that art is of highest importance to education, for both child and adult; because of art’s ability to enable the artist to move toward integration of the self and the realization of one’s potentialities is fundamental to education. She devised a method of teaching art that freed the artist, by applying what is learned in the studio to concrete problems in life. Her theories and techniques have influenced many in the field of Art Therapy.
Born in 1882, Florence Cane is the older sister of Margaret Naumburg, who was also an educator, and art therapist. Naumburg was a psychologist who had her own school, originally called the “Children’s School” and rename Walden School. When Florence was critical of the method with which art was being taught, Margaret invited her to become the Art Director, a position which Cane accepted. (Sadovnik, 2002) Cane also had her own school, Florence Cane School of Art. (Cane, 1936) and worked at the clinic for the gifted child at the School of Education, at New York University, founded by Professor Harvey Zorbaugh. (Cane, 1951)
Florence Cane stated her belief that “Art may some day become our soundest therapy. For through art expression man finds his own pattern within himself and subsequently his pattern in relation to his fellow man.” (Cane, 1951) Her work was founded on the belief that every person is born with the power to create, a power of the spirit, and through its use, one awakens and grows. (Cane, 1951) She believed that art is the normal expression of the human soul, and that expressing it in some form is a means of developing inner life. She acknowledged the conscious, and ordered world, and the unconscious, elemental world, and believed that in admitting and accepting both lies the opportunity for integration, allowing transformation of the self to a fuller life. She believed art to be a means of activating all of one’s functions and that the simultaneous use of one’s functions played a role in the integration of personality within the self and integration of the self within the social unit. She further expounded that “the power to create may become the key to joy and wisdom, possibly to self realization.” (Cane, 1951) She believed that by freely using art in our lives we could return to balance and the health.
Her philosophy is psychoanalytic in nature, more aligned with Jung than Freud. She stated that art is not an escape from life as Sigmund Freud had claimed, but saw art as a solution of problems conditioned by parents or created by the child himself through a misunderstanding of life. (Cane, 1951) She has observed the affect of expressing painful things experienced in life through art, allowing the child to experience new health in his body, soul, and mind. Like Jung, she saw importance in an active imagination, and encouraged fantasizing and exploring feelings through art: painting, music and movement. (Feder, 1981) Cane saw the art product as a psychic chart of the creator, evidencing the attitude, direction and pattern of that creator. Cane used the Socratic method of questioning and drawing out from her pupils his or her strongest memory; through casual conversation, she attempts to discover a memory or symbol which was the key to a newer form of expression for that person.
As she states in her book, The Artist Within, “Art may be inspired by feeling and conceived in thought, but it is executed through the body”, Cane sees the transcendent function of change lies buried in the unconscious, and that by fantasy, play, rhythmic movement and other indirect means, it can become conscious. As such, she developed as series of exercises to be performed by the artist to help release the creative energy and unconscious.
She would begin with breathing exercises, resulting in feeding the body oxygen, increasing circulation, and producing energy. Breathing exercises for Cane should always begin with an exhale, allowing the air to filter back into the lungs at their own pressure. Sound was also combined with breathing exercises, which Cane believed recharged energy and stimulated the use of color. She believed this practice would lessen conventional form and allow the expression of the artists own imagery and philosophy. She also used sound as a source of inspiration with the use of the following exercise. After letting out all the breath possible, on the “in” breath, chant a syllable or vowel sound. By exhaling first, you increase the intake and improve the coordination of brain and muscle, which has the effect of an eager, waiting attitude. This chanting is also called intoning and is often combined with swinging movement of the arms and body, giving the feeling of freedom. The exhale and intoning on the inhale is repeated, often with eyes closed, allowing forms to arise in ones mind, visions of color and the beginning of creation. When a composition becomes clear and the colors are suggested, real feelings are being expressed and the body obeys the brain, as this is translated on to paper or canvas. Cane suggests that various vowels suggest different colors and forms, and believes that chanting has a cleansing property for the body, like water in rinses one clean. She also encourages the artist to croon or hum during production of art work, believing it to make the art clearer, colors richer and form simplified and integrated. She also utilized a “singing game”, which helps the participant see color and get ideas for their artwork. The singing game is played standing; first stretch and yawn, then close your eyes, relax and exhale completely. As you lift your arms above your head, breathe in on a “ah” sound. Bend over from your hips, as far as possible, breathing out on the “ah” sound, creating the sound as deep and bell-like as possible, breathing out slowly. Gradually lift the body, letting the sound become a chant on a few notes and allow your body to sway or swing as you stand erect. Keep your eyes close though out the exercise because images are more active when your physical eyes are at rest.
Rhythmic movement would follow. Cane discovered that by standing at an easel, instead of being seated at a desk, that freer movement from the shoulder was allowed, which in turn allowed rhythmic lines necessary to true art expression. To assist in this, she encouraged swinging of arms in wide arcs, including movements like throwing a ball; then with chalk, draws lines that mimic the feelings of the shoulder movement. Rhythmic movement brings order out of chaos, and through rhythm, movement and line, the artists inhibiting issues are released, allowing the artist to express feelings with confidence, fitness and beauty, through the movement of the body, according to Cane. She believed that physical liberation lead to emotional liberation which lead to a spiritual liberation. She sought to allow the essential nature of the artist to create its own forms of expression, beginning in play and growing with the use of effort. In this manner, the integrity of the artist is preserved, and the art produced is genuine, primitive and true. Kinesthetic sense is the sensation that accompanies or informs us of bodily movements. Rhythmic repetition of lines from a well balanced body position calms the artist, converting tumult and tension to peace and relaxation. Scribbles stir fantasy and a hidden tale evolves.
Cane utilized scribbles as part of her method to free the artist, to overcome anxiety, inhibitions and resistance and to free energy and imagination. After performing the breathing, intoning and movement exercises, a scribble drawing is performed with either eyes open or closed, allowing the hand to make an unconscious rhythmic pattern with light strokes or movements of the chalk. The resulting lines are viewed from every direction, attempting to see pictures in the lines. When a definite picture has been identified, lines maybe emphasized that bring out what has been seen in the work, while other lines may be ignored or removed. This work from the unconscious may or may not be recognized by the artist, dependent on the age of the artists, younger persons are often not aware, but older artists often see reveled a deep inner problem, conflict or aspiration, according to Cane.
Cane again revealed her Jungian influence with her views on fantasy as a method to access the unconscious, and that by bringing it to light, that it might be developed; with Cane, it is through objectifying them in drawings that are a result of scribble work. In collaborative work with an analyst and physicians, possible because Cane function as creative teacher, perceiving the meaning of the patient/pupils work, but leaving the analysis to the psychiatrist, thus not interfering with transference, drawings from the unconscious was used for the purpose of healing. (Cane, 1951) In this work, she placed more emphasis on expression of fantasy with a minimum of technical proficiency training. Fantasy is also useful to bring fixations and fears that are buried in the unconscious to light. She also states that “Through imagination and acts of creation which follows it, mean realized the highest aspect of himself. As creator he functions in the image of God.”(Cane, 1951)
The significance of the scribble is confirmed by Leonardo da Vinci, in his notebooks, “Precepts of the Painter: A way to stimulate and arouse the mind to various inventions” as reported by Florence Cane (Cane, 1951) where he describes the use of a mottled stone wall with the power to release through suggestion. Art Therapist Elinor Ulman expounded on Cane’s scribble drawings, to devise the Ulman Personality Assessment Procedure (UPAP) for diagnostics.
Cane believed that a great number of our problems can be attributed to inhibitions, which can be released via the arts; that the difference between “normal” and “abnormal” is more a matter of degree than in kind of cure. Her method was simple; establish a rapport of confidence and friendliness (similar to therapeutic alliance) to enable the task to be perceived as easy and pleasurable. Develop a sense of play towards the work; play with lines gives rhythm; play with color and light connects to nature’s health-giving forces; play with fantasy connects to symbols as a means of expression, the dual character of the real and unreal, and the intermediary between conflicting instincts. Art acts as a cathartic agent, by working on both negative and positive, there is a gradual emergence to clarity and peace. Repressions and conflicts set up all kinds of psychological and behavior difficulties. By overcoming the conflicts in their art, the individual releases emotional force and a new energy for living. Art heals and can make whole through this process. (Cane, 1951) To conclude, Cane believed that self-knowledge is the basis for clarity and growth and that through art, we can come to know ourselves better, and grow healthy.
REFERENCES
Cane, F. (1936) Gifted child in art. The Journal of Educational Sociology; a magazine of theory and practice, 10:2, 67-73.
Cane, F. (1951) The Artist In Each Of Us. Pantheon Books Inc., New York, NY
Feder, E. & B. (1981) The Expressive Art Therapies. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, p 30
Sadovnik, A.R. & Semel, S. F. (2002) Founding Mother and Others: Women Educational Leaders During the Progressive Era. Palgrave New York, NY pg 41, 49
Ulman, E. (1965) A New use of art in psychiatric diagnosis. Bulletin of Art Therapy, 4:3

References: Cane, F. (1936) Gifted child in art. The Journal of Educational Sociology; a magazine of theory and practice, 10:2, 67-73. Cane, F. (1951) The Artist In Each Of Us. Pantheon Books Inc., New York, NY Feder, E. & B. (1981) The Expressive Art Therapies. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, p 30 Sadovnik, A.R. & Semel, S. F. (2002) Founding Mother and Others: Women Educational Leaders During the Progressive Era. Palgrave New York, NY pg 41, 49 Ulman, E. (1965) A New use of art in psychiatric diagnosis. Bulletin of Art Therapy, 4:3