Art – Nature – Wellbeing
On the face of it, the world of art and the milieu of psychotherapy are two different domains. However, the field of art therapy combines them both.
An increasingly popular tool to address mental health conditions, art therapy is used in settings such as schools, detention centres, prisons, hospitals and private practice, with patients communicating their issues through painting, drawing and other artistic endeavours.
Inner West artist Martin Roberts explains: “It’s a useful way for people to express what mightn’t be easy to put into words. Clients can include people with learning disabilities, those for whom English is a second language and sufferers of extreme trauma or abuse.”
Roberts, who is completing his Masters in Art Therapy at the University of Western Sydney, is co-curator of the Art – Nature – Wellbeing exhibition at Verge Gallery, Darlington.
The exhibition will feature artworks by 40 artists (including Roberts and co-curator Dr Joy Paton) encompassing painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture, installation and digital media. (PH)
May 30-Jun 8, Verge Gallery, University of Sydney, Jane Foss Russell Plaza, City Rd, Darlington, free, (02) 9563 6218, verge-gallery.net
