Title:
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On spirit and self : Chagall, Jung, and religion /
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Previous analytical studies of the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall
(Dieckmann 1981; Neumann 1959, 1979; Riedel 1983; Stein 1987) have
emphasised the Jungian conceptualisation of archetypal imagery, and utilise
Chagall as an artistic exemplar in support of archetypal theory. This study
accepts the archetypal model and base for research, and refines the
analytical discussion by incorporating Jung's concepts of religion and
Individuation and Samuels' (1989:25-7) conceptualisation of the archetypal
filter.
The study initially defines: (1) The emergence patterns of archetypal
imagery in Chagall's oeuvre during his eight decades of artistic development,
and (2) Three 'life-time' periods delineated according to the
artist's dates of migration and settlement between Russia, France, Germany,
and America: Early-Life (1887-1922), Mid-Life (1923-1951), and Later-Life
(1952-1985).
A correlation is found between the emergence of, and increase in,
Chagall's religious transformative imagery during critical periods in the
artist's development, and collective 19th and 20th Century historical events
in Russia and Europe.
Four Chagallian image categories are then identified and examined
for their religious and archetypal content: Natal Faith and The Bible;
Zoomorphism, Bimorphism, and Anthropomorphism; Hierosgamos and the
Alchemical Couple; and Christ and the Crucifixion. These images are
significant for: (1) The visual replication of both physical and metaphorical
instances of the transformation process, and (2) The presence of a sacredsecular
binary. Discussion of Chagall's particular use of the sacred-secular
binary within his imagery is augmented by the artist's writing on natal
faith, spirituality, and the process and product of art.
The argument is made that: visual emergences of religious
transformative imagery concordant with critical points in Chagall's
individuation development and/or collective change through historical events
is suggestive of an archetypal expression. Chagall's artwork and his personal
observations form a creative process perspective that is consistent with the
expenencmg and expression of the spirit through the interiority of religious
attitude.
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