90 x 120 cm (x 2 parts)

Acrylic paint, wallpaper, canvas

 

Central to an object relations theory is the notion of splitting, which can be described as the mental separation of objects into "good" and "bad" parts and the subsequent repression of the "bad," or anxiety-provoking, aspects (Melanie Klein).To reduce the immense fear of inability to control what is happening around, the psyche prefers to think that by observing certain behavior, the necessary patterns, it will be possible to subjugate the course of circumstances.

 

Splitting as a defense is a way of managing anxiety by protecting the ego from negative emotions. It is often employed in trauma, where a split-off part holds the unbearable feelings. Melanie Klein believed that this concreteness is not just explicit in children and disturbed (schizophrenic) adults, but it is also the character of a deep layer of the unconscious in all people.