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| Sylvie Faure-Pragier, M.D. Paris, France |
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| Luis Feder, Ph.D., in his office in Mexico City. Credit: Mark Gerald, Ph.D. |
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| "We create worlds around us that are extensions of our inner life." Mark Gerald psychoanalyst |
Way before I became a Nurse I studied Photography at University. I got onto the course with a selection of Polaroids of my friends, however once on the course I never did another Portraiture project, I discovered abstract expressionism, awe, consciousness and colour therapy and I was off discovering myself instead :)
Over the last few years Moon to Moon has rekindled my passion for Portraiture, not necessarily of people themselves, more portraits of how people live. The objects we are drawn too and surround ourselves with, the colours, patterns and textures we adorn our homes with and the manner in which we store and display, they all give away so much about he way we view the 'self'.
That is one of the reasons I love this project by Psychoanalyst and photographer Mark Gerald.
In the Shadow of Freuds couch invites us into the private offices of Psychoanalysts. The analyst all of a sudden becomes the analyzed. We start wondering about the person in the photo. Why do they choose to present them self in that way? Why have they chosen that decor? Would I feel comfortable opening up to these people? There is such a huge contrast between the top photo and the bottom, although I prefer the interior of the top would I feel more comfortable sharing in the neutral environment of the last?
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| Mark Gerald: In the Shadow of Freud’s Couch, Susie Orbach, Ph.D. |
Below is an abstract from an interview with Mark Gerald. The full interview can be found at
It's Nice That
What do you believe are the keys factors that inform the way a psychoanalyst decorates the space they work in?
Analysts, like all of us, operate both from intention and from the
unconscious. The spaces that the analysts work in are homes for them and
their patients. We all work in Freud’s shadow and our offices are
tributes to the iconic first psychoanalytic office in Vienna. That being
said, there are enormous variations based on theoretical
considerations, aesthetics, and cultural and geographic norms. Warmer
climates and those in less populated areas tend to be more open and
larger. Many urban offices are interior spaces, enclosures for the
unconscious.
2 comments:
What a fascinating subject, both in terms of portraits, the whole issue of what role the room plays in the therapy and your own point about finding the first photos more appealing and yet the possibility that the more spare and neutral looking room might be more conducive to opening up. I would imagine different environments work for different people and choosing a therapist might involve the level of comfort one feels in their room.
Amazing concept. Never thought to apply the same analysis to rooms as I do to people. As a landscape designer I'm always curious how different environments creat unique experiences/moods for people.
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