David Gussak
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231162517
- eISBN:
- 9780231534277
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231162517.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
This book details how forensic art therapy was used in a capital murder case in which a man was tried for kidnapping his two children, murdering one, and attempting to kill the other. In this case, ...
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This book details how forensic art therapy was used in a capital murder case in which a man was tried for kidnapping his two children, murdering one, and attempting to kill the other. In this case, the prosecution sought the death penalty, while the defense employed an unusual strategy to avoid the sentence. The defendant's attorneys turned to more than one hundred examples of his artwork, which he had created over many years, to determine whether he was mentally ill at the time he committed the crimes. The book's author, an art therapist who was contracted by the defense to analyze the images that were to be presented as evidence in the case, recounts his findings and his testimony in court, as well as the future implications of his work for criminal proceedings. The book describes the role of the art therapist as an expert witness in a murder case, the way in which art can be used as evidence and the conclusions and assessments that professionals can draw from a defendant's artworks. It examines the effectiveness of expert testimony as communicated by the prosecution, defense and court, and weighs the moral, ethical, and legal consequences of relying on such evidence. The book shows how art can reflect a damaged and dangerous psyche and demonstrates the practical applications of an innovative approach to clinical assessment and treatment.Less
This book details how forensic art therapy was used in a capital murder case in which a man was tried for kidnapping his two children, murdering one, and attempting to kill the other. In this case, the prosecution sought the death penalty, while the defense employed an unusual strategy to avoid the sentence. The defendant's attorneys turned to more than one hundred examples of his artwork, which he had created over many years, to determine whether he was mentally ill at the time he committed the crimes. The book's author, an art therapist who was contracted by the defense to analyze the images that were to be presented as evidence in the case, recounts his findings and his testimony in court, as well as the future implications of his work for criminal proceedings. The book describes the role of the art therapist as an expert witness in a murder case, the way in which art can be used as evidence and the conclusions and assessments that professionals can draw from a defendant's artworks. It examines the effectiveness of expert testimony as communicated by the prosecution, defense and court, and weighs the moral, ethical, and legal consequences of relying on such evidence. The book shows how art can reflect a damaged and dangerous psyche and demonstrates the practical applications of an innovative approach to clinical assessment and treatment.
David E. Gussak
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231162517
- eISBN:
- 9780231534277
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231162517.003.0002
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
This chapter discusses the use of art therapy in the capital murder case of Kevin Ward in 2009. Ward murdered his eldest child and attempted to murder his younger one. Through Ward's choice of ...
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This chapter discusses the use of art therapy in the capital murder case of Kevin Ward in 2009. Ward murdered his eldest child and attempted to murder his younger one. Through Ward's choice of materials, style, and composition, art therapist David Gussak concluded that while his art pieces demonstrate talent, they also reveal the presence of a mental illness. Many of Ward's images can be and have been described as fragmented, with disconnected and shattered elements reminiscent of the art of a client with dissociative identity disorder. However, a reexamination of the images showed that the characteristics in artworks that may reflect schizophrenia seem to be pervasive throughout Ward's entire collection. Another criterion that became conspicuous while reviewing Ward's compositions was the varying energy levels revealed in them, leading to the assumption that he may also have suffered periodically from a mood disorder, specifically depression.Less
This chapter discusses the use of art therapy in the capital murder case of Kevin Ward in 2009. Ward murdered his eldest child and attempted to murder his younger one. Through Ward's choice of materials, style, and composition, art therapist David Gussak concluded that while his art pieces demonstrate talent, they also reveal the presence of a mental illness. Many of Ward's images can be and have been described as fragmented, with disconnected and shattered elements reminiscent of the art of a client with dissociative identity disorder. However, a reexamination of the images showed that the characteristics in artworks that may reflect schizophrenia seem to be pervasive throughout Ward's entire collection. Another criterion that became conspicuous while reviewing Ward's compositions was the varying energy levels revealed in them, leading to the assumption that he may also have suffered periodically from a mood disorder, specifically depression.
