In art making, materials and media are the intermediaries between private ideas, thoughts and feelings, and their external manifestation in a tangible, sensual form. Thus, materials provide the core components of the exchange that occurs between art therapists and clients. This book focuses on the sensory-based, tangible vocabulary of materials and media and its relevance to art therapy. It provides a historical account of the theory and use of materials and media in art therapy, as well as an examination of the interface between art therapy, contemporary art materials and practices, and social/critical theory. Contributing authors provide examples of how art therapists have transgressed conventional material boundaries and expanded both thinking and practice in the field. The chapters discuss traditional as well as innovative media, such as body adornments, mail and video art, and comic books. An accompanying DVD contains media clips, as well as 69 color images.

Reviews

'Moon’s book is a welcome addition to the literature on the use of materials within art therapy. It will provoke more thought, reflection, and writing about the characteristics of different art materials and their potential impact on art therapy processes.' - Susan Hogan, Professor, Cultural Studies and Art Therapy, School of Social Care and Therapeutic Practice, University of Derby, United Kingdom

'Materials and Media in Art Therapy introduces a model for clinical effectiveness and psychological understanding that is based on the varied medicines of art making. It is an authoritative and innovative text that will guide our discipline toward a more sensitive engagement of the needs, interests, and expressive abilities of the people we serve.' - Shaun McNiff, PhD, University Professor, Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Author, Art Heals, Art as Medicine, Art-Based Research, Integrating the Arts in Therapy

'This book breaks new ground with a scholarly and philosophioach that places art therapy squarely in the contemporary discourse of postmodern thought. Cathy Moon and her contributors challenge us to examine our aesthetic sensibilities toward materials, making this an essential reading for students and experienced practitioners seeking to push the boundaries of art therapy.' - Patricia Allen, PhD, ATR, HLM, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Author, Art Is a Way of Knowing, Art Is a Spiritual Path

Contents

Section I: Art Therapy Materials and Media: History and Theory. Moon, A History of Materials and Media in Art Therapy. Moon, Theorizing Materiality in Art Therapy: Negotiated Meanings. Orr, Social Remixing: Art Therapy Media in the Digital Age. Section II: From Artist to Art Therapist: How Art Therapists' Use of Materials, Media, and Practices Informs the Work as Therapists. Yi, From Imperfect to I Am Perfect: Reclaiming the Disabled Body Through Making Body Adornments in Art Therapy. Whitaker, Groundswe...