The purpose and power of image: Exploring Picasso’s insights and depth psychology

Everyone wants to understand art. But why not approach it like the song of a bird? Picasso once said, “Why does one love the night, flowers, everything around one, without trying to understand? But in the case of a painting, people have to understand. If only they would realize above all that an artist works because he must, that he himself is only a trifling bit of the world, and that no more importance should be attached to him than to plenty of other things in the world which please us, though we can’t explain them.”

This profound insight from Picasso leads me to a topic close to my heart: the power of images. Next year, I’ll be teaching a course at Pacifica Graduate Institute titled The Purpose and Power of Image. Images lose their magic and potency when we try to rationalize or dissect them. Instead, I invite students to “befriend” images—notice their presence, how they shape us, and the messages they might hold for our lives and communities.

The course description encapsulates this beautifully:

“Depth psychology has always maintained a close relationship with image—-the literal images which visit in our sleep, the fantasy images we flirt with while awake, the autonomous images that appear ‘out of nowhere,’ the metaphorical images we have of ourselves and others—the psyche is always creating images. In turn, those images give shape to our psyche, an idea which archetypal psychologist James Hillman explores in his work. Hillman proposes that ‘at the soul’s core we are images,’ and that life can be defined as ‘the actualization over time’ of the images in our hearts and souls. Hillman goes even further by suggesting that our unique images are the essence of our life, and ‘call [us] to a destiny.’ Students will study the writings of James Hillman and others on the purpose and power of image in psychological and creative life and meditate upon the core images meaningful to their lives and work.”

This course, part of Pacifica’s Engaged Humanities program, is designed for creatives and incorporates both literal and non-literal ways of knowing. It’s an opportunity to explore the transformative role of images in our psychological and creative journeys. For more information, call Pacifica Graduate Institute. I hope to see you there!