‘psychotic automatism’ - ‘Exploring Psychosis and Psychotic Symptoms through the use of Psychic Automatism’

2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Aims

• Develop a series of paintings using psychic automatism as a method for accessing unconscious imagery.

• Explore the relationship between psychic automatism and the unconscious processes (psychotic symptoms) present in psychosis.

  • What parallels exist in psychosis, psychic automatism and other Surrealist methodologies?

Objectives

• Engage in consistent automatic writing and drawing sessions and integrate this material into paintings.

• Experiment with other mediums, integrating video and film photography to develop on this multi-layered visual approach that exists in my work.

• Maintain a structure of critical reflection for my paintings, documenting my creative process through written analysis:

  • How did I feel while painting this piece?

  • How do I feel now upon reflection?

  • Are there specific thoughts or feelings that now exist post-creation?

• Continue the in-depth research into Andre Breton’s ‘Surrealist Manifesto’ and Sigmund Freud’s ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’ to help situate my practice within both historical and theoretical contexts.

• Research and analyze contemporary artists’ that incorporate automatic writing and painting in their practices, identifying connections to Surrealist methodologies.

• Engage in primary research by interviewing artists, academics, and specialists in fields such as psychoanalysis, psychosis, and behavioral studies to deepen my understanding of the unconscious in creative processes.

• Implement sustainable strategies to support my art practice throughout the MA, providing support for my mental well-being.

  • Seeking therapy through the NHS or charitable organizations.

4. METHODOLOGY

• Painting - Oil and Acrylic

  • Painting with other experimental Mediums, such as;

    • Film

    • Video

    • Writing

  • Canvas or Paper

• Psychic Automatism - Automatic Behaviours

  • Automatic Writing, developing this into my paintings.

    • Redacting and Releasing words and sentences formed through this automatic writing.

• Reflection - What happened in this painting? What do I find interesting in this painting? What worked well? What didn’t?

5. OUTCOMES

• A series of paintings on canvas, showing techniques I’ve developed over the past 2 years.

• A piece of work, in either the form of video or film, that is a result of my experimentation of different mediums throughout the course.

6. WORK PLAN

1ST YEAR

• WEEK 14 - WEEK 17

  • Start developing my work on larger Canvases, including automatic writing.

  • Read further on Sigmund Freud and Andre Breton, perhaps find other research points I can look further into that feel more specific? [Research Point 1 & Research Point 2]

• WEEK 18 - WEEK 20

  • Select a Canvas piece that I want to be apart of the Interim Show, arrange everything logistically for it to arrive at CSM.

  • Participate in the setup of the Interim Show, as well as attending the opening evening.

  • Participate in workshops that I feel would be useful in the Low Residency Week.

  • Start the process of engaging in some form of Therapy for my Mental Health.

• WEEK 21 - WEEK 24

  • Continue developing on my paintings

  • Start to delve deeper in proposed Research Point 1 & Research Point 2

  • Begin to experiment with different mediums that I could use to present my work [Film, Video]

• WEEK 24 - WEEK 28

  • Critically Reflect on the experimentation of different mediums used to present my work [Film, Video]

• WEEK 28 - WEEK 30

  • Critically reflect on the 1st Year of my MA, What went well? What might I do different in the 2nd year? Does this change my current Study Statement?

  • Conclude on Research Point 1 & Research Point 2, reflecting on if these areas of new research proved useful or not. What would I want to focus on in Year 2?

2ND YEAR

• SEP 25 - DEC 25

  • Start of by reflecting on the year previous, understand what I want to achieve this year, and how should I start by approaching it?

• JAN 2026 - JUNE 2026

  • Work in progress.

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Web

• https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/psychic-automatism/

• https://psychoanalysis.org.uk/our-authors-and-theorists/sigmund-freud

• https://www.artdex.com/dreams-fantasies-and-psychic-automatism-surrealism-explained/#:~:text=Battle%20of%20Fishes%20(1926)%2C,a%20dreamscape%20or%20hallucinogenic%20condition.

• https://pathwaygroupstoke.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/leonora-carrington-psychosis-and-surrealism/

• https://smarthistory.org/surrealism-and-psychoanalysis/

Book

• Beyond Reason: Art and Psychosis: Works From the Prinzhorn Collection by Laurent Busine

• Art, Psychotherapy and Psychosis, Edited by Katherine Killick and Joy Schaverieen

• Art psychotherapy, by Harriet Wadeson

• Dada and Surrealism, by David Hopkins

Primary Research

• The Interpretation of Dreams, by Sigmund Freud

• The Surrealist Manifesto, by Andre Breton