ATOL: Art Therapy Online, 4 (1) © 2013
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The Ritual of Los Dias De los Muertos and Community Art Therapy
Justine Brown and Christine Kerr
Abstract
This article explores a possible connection between Los Dias de los Muertos,
cultural community art-making, group dynamics, drive theory and art therapy.
The position that this article advances is that community and cultural rituals
serve a purpose for the art therapist. These cultural rituals may operate as a
“third hand” or facilitate sublimation, therein directing emotional discharge as
well as, eliciting creativity and group cohesiveness for the community at large.
These possible connections are relevant for the cross-cultural art therapist, in
that the power of community art making appears to provide a creative cultural
outlet as evidenced by the celebration of Los Dias de los Muertos in Mexico.
This cultural outlet may enhance kinship and cultural group cohesiveness.
Key words: art making, art therapy, community, drive theory, grief, group
dynamics, healing, ritual, sublimation, symbolism.
Introduction
This article explores a connection between Los Dias de los Muertos, the days
of the dead, cultural community art making, group dynamics, drive theory and
art therapy. The position that this article advances is that the art therapist has
much to learn from traditional community and cultural rituals. Cultural rituals
may act therapeutically by promoting positive emotional discharge while
simultaneously enhancing the communities bonds. Secondly, from an art
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