Image And Insight Ellen Handler Spitz Analysis

Spitz cleverly ascribes the title; Image and Insight to this particular collection of work, which is concerned with the paradoxical concept of not only looking deep within oneself, but also broadly outward, doing so simultaneously. In doing so, Spitz cleverly implies the metaphor of Teiresias, a blind prophet from Ancient Greek mythology to cement this idea. Ellen Handler Spitz is a critically acclaimed American author, and University professor, best known for her specialist studies in the area of; psychology, children, and the arts, and how they intersect with one another. Ellen Handler Spitz’s, Image and Insight: Essays in Psychoanalysis and the Arts explores what ties the world of psychoanalysis to that of art, and establishes clear connections
The Emperor required the Rabbi to instruct his cooks how to prepare the Sabbath meal, equipping them with the necessary skills and information. This story illustrates the concept that one must be interested in the object (the meal/art) for the subject to be able to appreciate and admire its aesthetic value. This notion is depicted through the Emperor’s reaction upon tasting the prepared meal, expressing his under-whelming enjoyment. The Rabbi explains to the Emperor that “there is a special taste, a unique spice, if you like, but the recipe cannot be given, for it comes of itself for those who love the Sabbath.” (Spitz, p. 4) The reason for the Emperor’s displeasure stems from his lack of knowledge and appreciation of the Sabbath itself. Spitz artfully employs this allegory as a means of explaining that individual experiences are unique, therefore different individuals with diverse life experiences will interpret artistic mediums, genre’s and styles differently. Spitz concisely illustrates this ideology by saying, “psychoanalysis locates aesthetic pleasure in the subject but also in a dynamic in which the spectator-subject may become object to the aesthetic object qua subject” (Spitz, p.
According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory; schizophrenia, which is a form of psychosis, results from the disintegration of the ego (Federn, p.227). Without a strong ego, intrapsychic activity is no longer bound by the reality principle - or Realitätsprinzip - and the individual loses touch with reality, instead retreating into an internal world of unconscious fantasies. The psychoanalytic theory proposes that ego disintegration results from traumatic childhood experiences. This fits Avi’s case. Spitz describes Avi as “almost totally absorbed in an inner world… responding to experiences accessible to himself alone” (Spitz, p.119). Since Surrealism attempts to capture the unconscious through the medium art, it can be argued that Avi’s artwork offers a more authentic insight into the unconscious