Symbolic expression of personal transformation in artworks: a jungian approach

Abstract

The article examines the symbolic expression of personal transformation in works of art from a Jungian perspective. The relevance of the topic stems from the need to explore how crisis and traumatic experiences acquire symbolic form and become integrated into a renewed system of personal meanings. The article considers the relationship between personal transformation, individuation, and symbolization, as well as C. G. Jung’s views on the role of symbols in the interaction between the conscious and the unconscious and in the integration of psychic opposites. It also draws on E. Neumann’s views on the transformative potential of creativity and M. Stein’s use of butterfly metamorphosis as a metaphor for long-term personal change. Particular attention is paid to alchemical symbolism in the works of Jung and M.-L. von Franz: the stages of nigredo, albedo, citrinitas, and rubedo are considered representations of different aspects of inner transformation, while the motif of coniunctio is interpreted as a symbol of the integration of opposites. The article proposes an original comparison between the alchemical opus and Stein’s butterfly metaphor: the departure from a former identity and the experience of crisis are associated with nigredo; the clarification of experience with albedo; the development of a new understanding of oneself with citrinitas; and the integration of a transformed identity with rubedo. Paintings and films are used as illustrative material. The analysis shows that artistic images can convey experiences of crisis, confrontation with the Shadow, inner change, and the integration of opposites. The article also considers D. Fredricksen’s approach to Jungian film analysis. In the film Frida, the butterfly metaphor is examined in the scene in which the plaster corset is removed, while The Fountain is analyzed through the motifs of the tree, the seed, death, and rebirth, which are associated with the experience of loss and the acceptance of life’s cyclical nature. The proposed comparison of Stein’s and Jung’s models represents the author’s own interpretation. The findings broaden the possibilities for Jungian interpretations of artistic imagery and may contribute to further research on the symbolization of crisis experiences and the use of artistic images in art therapy.