Psychotherapists customarily use drawings in diagnostic and therapeutic contexts, hence Zoltan’s recently published A Psychological Interpretation of Drawings and Paintings is a valuable sourcebook to behold.

In this book, Zoltan Vass presents the Seven-Step Configuration Analysis (SSCA), a systematic approach to the objective evaluation of projective drawings and paintings. The SSCA uses an artificial intelligence model, based on Zoltan Vass’s cumulative research.

The SSCA intentionally deviates from a mechanistic approach to the interpretation of projective drawings, believing that there is always much more than meets the eye. Pedagogically, SSCA begins with a step-by-step approach to assist users to come to grips with the basic principles of comprehending drawings and paintings. Imbued within these first steps are practical methods of interpretation, as well as imbedded stimuli to heighten one’s senses to selectively observe what is important in the pictures. Furthermore, attention is also drawn to the drawer’s/subject’s creative/testing behavior to make sense of his/her overall attitudes.

All in all, the SSCA is able to effectively and efficiently pinpoint for the therapist the psychological essence of a picture. Zoltan Vass’s book is not only a valuable addition to the collection of books on projective drawing, it opens up avenues for the conducting on empirical research on the long-debated efficacy of projective drawing as diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

Prof. Catherine T. L. SUN

Professor & Head, Department of Counselling and Psychology

Hong Kong Shue Yan University

It contains a thorough demonstration of the potential of a systemic approach to the analysis of pictures, allowing to use free pictorial productions as a tool of evaluation and research. The Systems Analysis Approach, considering a singular production within its whole personal and situational context, is accurately exposed with the help of a step by step approach to six complementary techniques of analysis. The theoretical considerations of the author are based on his personal experience as well as on a thorough review of the literature existing in the field of projective drawing. 

Last not least, the explanations concerning the six complementary methods of analysis are given in a very didactical manner and the different procedures are illustrated with the help of a great number of practical exercises and concrete examples, helping students getting familiarized with the methodology of rating and interpretation. 

Thus, the book is a good demonstration of the interest of the “hermeneutic circle “, which is the specific approach to truth in the human sciences, creating meaning by a permanent fluctuation between the whole configuration and pertinent details. 

This book will be of great interest for our students in arts therapies and arts psychotherapies and I will recommend it to them.

Prof. Dr. Lony Schiltz

Head of Research Unit in Clinical Psychology (Hôpital Kirchberg, Luxembourg)

Head of studies of the DESS en Art thérapie de l'Université du Luxembourg