The study consists of a psychobiography of the British artist, Francis Bacon (1909-1992). Psychobiography employs a qualitative approach to understanding the life story of an individual through the lens of psychological theory. It is typically dedicated to the lives of well-known or enigmatic people and covers the person’s entire lifespan. For this study the analytical theory of Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) is used to explore and describe Bacon’s life and personality through concepts relating to personality functioning, history, mythology, anthropology, symbology and religion. Francis Bacon has captured the imagination of the art world for many years - especially where it is felt that the figure-subject is still the highest form of art - and his reputation among the foremost of English painters is assured. Coupled with his artistic output is a life full of curiosity, eccentricity and controversy. This alone would qualify him as a suitable subject for a study such as this, but his extraordinary oeuvre of painting hugely adds to his attractiveness to the psychological researcher. To ensure an accurate description of Bacon’s life, extensive data is examined using Alexander’s (1988) model of identifying salient themes. The study considers the nature and methodology of psychobiography, the theories of Jung, the life of Francis Bacon and then sythesises relevant material in a psychological profile. The findings of this study indicate that Bacon’s intense, creative and unorthodox life of genius fully justifies the research and provides an example of how a theory that is flexible can be an appropriate means of understanding complicated personalities. Jung’s description of the evolution of the personality allows for applicability and coherence, while at the same time accomodating even the most maverick of non-conventional lives.

xiv, 141 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Twentieth-century British figurative painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992) is perhaps best known for his near-obsessive series of papal paintings inspired by Diego Velazquez' renowned portrait Pope Innocent X (1650) and created over the course of Bacon's entire artistic career. The artist's working process plays a crucial role in understanding this celebrated and varied series. Bacon deliberately avoided Velazquez' "original" portrait, preferring instead to work with photographic reproductions of the piece alongside a large collection of seemingly disparate visual material in his chaotic studio at 7 Reece Mews (South Kensington, London, England). This thesis proposes that Bacon explored issues of mechanization, fragmentation, and repetition through these visual juxtapositions in order to offer a critique of artistic and religious institutions. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Kate Mondloch, Chair; Dr. Lauren G. Kilroy; Dr. Ellen Rees

Preface: An awareness of certain contradictory perceptions and assumptions regarding religious beliefs today and their relevance to art prompted a question which led to the research undertaken in this minithesis. The question was: how significant is the absence or presence of religious beliefs to the modern creative process? The writings of some theologians, sociologists, psychologists, and anthropologists seem to indicate that religious beliefs are fundamental to the functioning of society and the individuals who are part of it. Furthermore, even a cursory study of the history of art will demonstrate the strong bond between pre-nineteenth century image making and organised religion. Today, however, this relationship appears uncertain or even non-cxistant. This is a result of processes which began to gain strength in the nineteenth century: these include the industrial revolution, scientism and materialism. Peter Fuller, stated that among the most central questions affecting art is, "the severance of the arts from religious tradition and their existence within an increasingly secular culture." (Fuller, 1990, p. 189). This statement appears to bring the issues together very neatly. Firstly there is the assertion that religion has nourished and been a vital force behind art through the ages, and that, modern art has lost this source of vitality. Secondly, there is the contention tbat society, since the nineteenth century, has become increasingly secular, and that this has had (and is having) a radical effect on modern art. That art has been divorced from religion and that religion is disappearing, or will do so, is the logical conclusion, according to theorists who insist on institutional religion as the only true form. Some artists, for whom the absence or presence or loss of religious beliefs are important issues, may in this situation experience a creative crisis. In order to address these issues it was necessary to investigate whether religious beliefs are important to artistic endeavour and, if so, what the consequences of the absence of beliefs might be. For this reason, research into the nature of religion and the modem religious situation was initiated. The purpose of the extensive discussion on the nature of religion was to establish definitions of, or a view of, religion which could provide a sound basis for this investigation of the issues that have been outlined. In order to demonstrate whether religious beliefs are important to the creative process, Francis Bacon was chosen for discussion because he appeared to be a modern artist who had no religious beliefs and was thus an ideal example by which the consequences of this could be gauged.

Ce mémoire propose une réflexion sur le processus de création chorégraphique que nous avons élaboré à partir des concepts philosophiques proposés par Gilles Deleuze, dans l'ouvrage Francis Bacon. Logique de La sensation. Au sein de l'essai chorégraphique Certaines scènes peuvent ne pas convenir, nous avons cherché à entrer en dialogue avec la pensée de Deleuze et le monde, et surtout à « faire rhizome », afin d'ouvrir la danse à des pistes de sens et des territoires sensibles inattendus. Dans le présent document, nous cherchons d'abord à définir les modalités de notre recherche création autour du concept de « rhizome », puis à dégager de notre processus créatif une Logique de La sensation qui serait proprement chorégraphique, tout en maintenant un lien étroit avec la philosophie de Deleuze et l'oeuvre picturale de Francis Bacon. La notion d'un devenir du corps tient lieu, dans cette logique, de dynamique centrale. Nous abordons ensuite l'usage particulier que nous avons fait du corps dansant, où ce dernier devient « matériau de la Figure ». En procédant à ce que Deleuze nomme la « capture des forces », nous cherchons à découvrir dans la danse le « fait du corps », au-delà de tout effet narratif ou figuratif. Par la suite, nous cherchons à identifier, à partir des concepts deleuziens de territoire, de rythme et de structure, ce qui participe à générer la cohérence de l'oeuvre, en dépit de nos tactiques visant à déjouer et à multiplier les développements possibles du sens. L'oeuvre devient alors la cartographie d'un territoire que l'on arpente et que l'on découvre au fil de son développement. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Création chorégraphique, Rhizome, Sensation, Figuration, Corps, Rythme, Philosophie.

Bibliography: p. 313-324. / xii, 324 p., [31] leaves of plates : col. ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 2005