The visual arts lend themselves naturally to contemplation of self. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of art therapy in increasing self-awareness of participants in an art therapy class are examined. The independent variables under consideration were participation status, university classification, type of instruction, and…

Discusses the limits to fitting aesthetic experiences into theories of education or curricula, claiming that this often results in aesthetic alphabetization. Contrasts this to the aesthetic education possibilities in art therapy. Beginning with a statement by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, theorizes about the existence of an aesthetic self-identity. (CH)