Florence Cane
[4] Florence and her sister Margaret were both deeply impressed by psychoanalytic ideas, and pursued Jungian analysis with Beatrice Hinkle around 1910.
She was also a follower of Gurdjieff, who regarded "dance, music, movement, innovative group work and writing" as modes of expression and self-awareness.
[4] Not least, she was influenced by Eastern philosophical traditions, which informed her understanding of the connection between mind and body in the art-making process.
[4] Cane believed, "youth deserves teachers with psychological understanding, artistic ability, and simple, direct methods of supplying techniques," [3] and "creativity and individuality were being crushed.
"[4] Cane chose to move away from the skill teaching method typically used in schools and instead used an integrated approach.
In 1936, Cane became the director of art at the Counseling Center for Gifted Children of the School of Education at New York University, mainly working with intake portfolios for applicants.
The book covered topics such as instructions appropriate for each age group, the selection of materials, specific techniques, and the importance of symbols.
[11] Cane's progressive ideas drew on the importance of art being a complex process that serves as a holistic experience.
She further elaborated the use of movement in her article (Cane, 1931a) by saying that the "kinesthetic sense is the link between conceiving and doing" and "the finger tips are...the last delicate part to convey the message of the mind to the paper...(carrying) the whole burden."
Cane referred to these as human powers "body, psyche, and mind" that cohesively worked in an individual's creative expression.
With all of the chief functions, movement, feeling, and thought, working together, the individual can experience the last dimension spiritual awakening.
Cane developed a scribble technique as "a kind of play with a freely flowing continuous line".
Cane developed this exercise to foster imagination and unconscious imagery, similar to free association in psychoanalysis.
However, Cane had patients referred to her by psychiatrists and analysts who were aware of the importance of art imagery as a therapeutic tool.
Cane believed that once symbols are made known to the art therapist-teacher, it can be easier to determine the child's issues and needs.
Cane states that babies should be left alone with materials like pebbles, sticks, and leaves so they can explore the world and become more autonomous.
About her students, Cane said, "My work with the children is based on the belief that almost any little child can learn to draw or paint as naturally as to speak or write" (1931b).
Cane held the belief that Teachers are in charge of ensuring optimal conditions for creativity to flourish.
[14] The conditions Cane [3] believed to be most favorable for children were white, bare walls; spacious, lighted rooms; and visible materials.
[3] Sometimes some of the most "living" of the children's artwork would adorn the walls, those that she identified of being full of rhythm, color, and honest crudities that exemplified the effort put into them (1931a).
Cane preferred crayons, chalks, tempera paint, and charcoal, believing these tools facilitated art that was "more broad and individual".,[14] and supported children's freedom of thought and movement.
Cane suggested the first art directive for any individual should involve a "full, balanced movement" such as throwing a ball or playfully producing lines.
[10] Moving the body with ease while making art could help children build trust in creating and exploring their kinesthetic senses through activities involving perception, memory, and imagination.
The difficulties the children had, like fear, pride and inertia, often caused a creative block and were usually underlying symptoms of a psychological attitude.
The artist also developed more personal meaning from the artwork and felt rejuvenated through the art making process.
Other important aspects of the art making effort include encouraging the student artist to select his own ideas for subject matter.
[1] Credo reflects her value of kinesthetic experience in artmaking and rhythmic movement inspired by Bach's B Minor Mass.
"...[L]arge, free movements in drawing released images in my mind that I had been unable to express on a small scale.
