Taking a long look at Art. Reflections on the context of production and consumption of art in Art Therapy

This paper draws on experiences of looking at art to consider the influence of social context on the production and consumption of art in art therapy. I draw on art historical discourses to explore the experience and relate this to looking at art in art therapy. I suggest that professional socialisation profoundly influences how art therapists look and think about what they see. I propose that attention to our tacit knowledge about art, extending art therapy’s practices of looking to include contemporary discourse about audiencing, curating and display, and that taking time for a long look at art and at the art made in art therapy, can enliven and sustain art therapy’s unique ways of seeing. Keywords: Looking; social context; art therapy; art history; professional socialisation.