SPLITTING | IMAGE : What Lies Within

This Ph.D. thesis explores the development of Angela Di Fronzo’s arts practice, with specific focus on the visual symbol of the crack and its underlying significance in literary and psychoanalytic terms. Of key importance is the discussion of the interface between the conscious and unconscious minds, and the concept of internal “splitting”. This area of psychoanalytic theory is shown to hold great potential in relation to the creative arts, with examples taken from literature, film, theatre and the visual arts. This led to a new emphasis in her work exploring the phenomenon of Craquelure found in Old Master paintings, directing the research towards an original interpretation of the creative process and the work of art.