Recommended Reading on Jungian Art

I'm slowly compiling here a list of my favorite books in the intersection of Jungian psychology, art, creativity and art therapy which have deeply inspired me on my own journey and which I feel can be of interest for anyone looking to learn more about Jungian art. By purchasing them through the links on my site you are also supporting my work as I am able to receive a small commission on them with no extra charge to you.

Jungian Art Therapy by Nora Swan-Foster

This book by Jungian analyst and art therapist Nora Swan-Foster is a thorough guide on Jung's concepts in the context of art therapy. The book explores the basics of analytical psychology for art therapists, students, and teachers. It explores various methods for understanding images that arise from the unconscious and includes clinical examples to bring the theories to practice.

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A Jungian Approach to Spontneous Drawing by Patricia Anne Elwood

This is an absolutely beautiful book, one of my favorites by Jungian analyst Patricia Anne Elwood. What really touched me were the clinical vignettes. Elwood has been able to guide her clients through powerful transformation with her spontaneous drawing method. The book really shows the magic and mystery of art therapy and would be fairly easy to read even for those without prior knowledge of the field.

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Introduction to Picture Interpretation by Theodor Abt

A classic in the field, this guidebook shows how to "illuminate a picture with it's own light". The reader will gain tools and methods for picture interpretation while becoming aware of the prejudices and fixed ideas that are inevitably involved in the process. The book shows what materials, spacial elements, color, number symbolism and motifs can reveal about an image and it's creator.

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