Molding the Fear: Representations of Fatherhood in Clay by Violent Men

Article Information

Creative Arts Educ Ther (2023) 9(1):45–60 DOI: 10.15212/CAET/2023/9/5

Molding the Fear: Representations of Fatherhood in Clay by Violent Men

Abstract

This article presents an artistic inquiry among three students during an art-based research course in the art therapy master’s program at Ono Academy, Israel. Their collaboration focused on composing inquiry modes that could explore paternal representations of violent men that arise in artmaking with clay. Three fathers who took part in an abuse-prevention art therapy group, their group facilitator as a witness, and the three student-researchers participated in the project. The paper focuses on the research method that comprised artmaking with clay, a questionnaire, observations, and discussions. Two main themes arose within the study: coexisting contrasts and false perfection as well as a gained sense of success and assurance that could project onto their perceptions of parenting. The project highlights the significance of artmaking with clay as a research tool and as a potential prophylactic treatment for preventing domestic violence.

Keywords: fatherhood, domestic violence, clay in research, art-based research, paternity

摘要

本文介绍了三名学生在以色列奥诺学院(Ono Academy)艺术治疗硕士项目艺术本位研究课程期间进行的艺术探究。他们的合作重点是组成探究模型，能探索出现于粘土艺术创作中暴力男性的父性象征。参加预防虐待艺术治疗小组的三位父亲、作为见证者的团体促进者人以及三位学生研究员参与了该项目。本文聚焦于由粘土艺术创作、一项问卷调查、观察和讨论组成的研究方法。研究中出现了两个主要主题：共存的对比和虚假的完美，以及能投射他们养育观念的成功感和自信。该项目强调了粘土艺术创作作为一种研究工具和预防家庭暴力的潜在预防疗法的重要性。

关键词： 父性, 家庭暴力, 用于研究的粘土, 艺术本位研究, 父亲身份