An "Artistic Group"

(2002 expressive arts project)

By Maria Marino *

* Educator, Coo.S.S.E.L. Co-operative.

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The realization of an "atelier" of painting, within the Residential Community Rausei "B", draws origin from the necessity to research under a methodological profile, an operational instrument useful for the rehabilitation of the patients with psychic problems complementary to speech. Infact, through the drawing of the graphical features, the use of colours and the expressive movements of the graphical forms and shapes, it is possible to interpret the emotions and the deep underlying personal needs of the subjects called to participate in an individual and group activity experience.

This painting experience witnessed the active engagement of six patients selected according to their own manifestation of interests and more or less marked personal attitude, started in January 2002. It represented for the interested subjects involved, a moment of personal growth, not only for the creative resources and expressive and emotional capabilities that emerged during the creation of the works, but also for the intensification of self-esteem and the ability to interact positively with outside world.

The defining of an outcome objective, that to set up within the rehabilitation community an area dedicated to the exhibition of the final works, and also, on the streets of the city, has been determinant in contributing to maintaining high the groups dedication and constancy, in applying themselves to the various phases of the program project.

The program project is articulated in three stages:

1. The first phase was based on observing and remarking on and interpretation of famous works of art, leaving ample space to personal interpretations made by the patients;
2. The second phase saw patients learning the use of main pictorial techniques, with the use of materials such as, tempera, ink of china and mixed techniques (palette knife, spray etc.);
3. The third phase was dedicated to the production of the works and saw patients engaged in the planning and the realization of paintings, using the techniques most suited to their demonstrated predisposition and attitude.

In this last phase, particularly delicate, lies the importance of the educators role, in which he/she is able to encourage and sustain the creative and expressive Ego potentials of each subject, without forcing the events, but rather gently and discreetly urging.

At the end of this experience, I feel myself in a position to say, that the project was useful to the group subjects, in that it opened a dialogue with their own personal and emotional worlds. For some patients it greatly changed their aesthetic taste and graphical capabilities enriched by a renewed experience of oneself.