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Abstract
The box is a central part of many art therapy techniques, such as forgetting boxes and treasure boxes. Though the use of the box in art therapy is prevalent, there is little literature in the field that examines why boxes are such effective art therapy tools. This article integrates the writings of metaphysicists, art educators, artists, art historians, and art therapists in an attempt to identify the factors that make the use of the box an effective art therapy tool. The use of boxes to enclose and conceal contents, create a new realm of space, and unite opposites makes the box effective in therapy. Due to the symbolic value of these characteristics, the box has been utilized throughout art history. This presence in art history is one of the characteristics contributing to the effectiveness of the box as a tool for art therapy.
Introduction
Boxes are a central part of many art therapy techniques used today. Examples encountered in a review of the literature include self-boxes, memory boxes, treasure chests and survival kits, and forgetting boxes (Fryrear & Corbit, 1992; Hussey, 1996; Keyes, 1983; Riley, 1994; Vroon, 1995). Boxes are also used in artmaking activities as part of house-building projects, or to contain depictions of interior home spaces (Baker, 1986). Clients sometimes spontaneously add boxes around their drawings, creating encapsulations, or conceal completed artworks in boxes (Cohen & Cox, 1995; Hanes, 1997; Levick, 1986).
Although boxes are widely accepted as an art therapy technique, there is a paucity of literature in the field about their history, symbolism, and why they work. Boxes are included in the literature of both art education and art therapy, but are usually discussed only in "how-to" approaches. A notable exception within the art therapy literature is Kaufman's Art in Boxes (1996), where the author explored aspects of the symbolism of boxes through the creation of a commemorative piece following the death of her young son. That article is not, however, an objective examination of the role of the box as an art therapy technique. In art education, teachers have adapted the box technique to fit both the psychosocial needs of students and the educational goals of lesson plans (Dodson, 1995; Silverman, 1994). Though applicable to the realm...