S.W.Hayter and the Atelier 17 and Their Contributions to Understand Their Own Existence through Art

Research reveals that the archetypal symbols found in Stanley William Hayter's engravings and those in prehistoric rock art, such as those in Valcamonica, Italy, share a common origin rooted in the collective unconscious. This finding suggests that these recurring motifs—including schematic anthropomorphic figures and triangles—are universal and transcultural, reflecting shared human experiences and rituals across millennia. The study employed a multidisciplinary approach, combining analysis of Hayter's works (e.g., Tarantelle and Cinq Personnages), interviews with curators and artists, and hands-on experimentation at Atelier 17 in Paris, where Hayter's techniques—such as automatic drawing, simultaneous printing, and burin engraving—are still practiced. These methods, influenced by Jungian psychology, demonstrate that artistic creation is deeply tied to subconscious imagery, offering new insights into the interpretation of both ancient rock art and modern engravings.

del Rosario Gomez Garcia, M., & Rams, S. G. (2021). S.W.HAYTER AND THE ATELIER 17 AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN EXISTENCE THROUGH ART. 8th SWS International Scientific Conferences on ART and HUMANITIES - ISCAH Proceedings 2021, 8, 115–124. https://doi.org/10.35603/sws.iscah.2021/s07.14