Introduction

The feeling of anguish as an engine of creation in the life of Edvard Munch (1863-1944)

Creativity is born from anguish,
just as the day is born from the dark night.

 Albert Einstein

According to the Dictionary of the use of Spanish by María Moliner, anguish is defined as "uneasiness, with intense suffering, for example due to the presence of a great danger or the threat of misfortune; Anxiety; Distress or discomfort caused by the feeling of not being able to cope; for example, to have more work or attention to go to those that it is possible to do or to be surrounded by many things in disorder; Burden; Intense physical discomfort not caused by certain pain, which produces labored breathing and a feeling of not being able to live. "

Calvin S. Hall in his book Compendium of Freudian Psychology (Paidós, 1984) offers the following definition, based on Freud's theory of anguish: "Anxiety is a painful emotional experience produced by excitation’s of the internal organs of the body. These excitation’s are triggered by internal or external stimuli and are governed by the autonomic nervous system ... Anguish is synonymous of fear. "(Hall 69)

Anxiety is a common feeling nowadays. The human seeks in his daily life the meaning of his life, a why. This search is characterized, in some cases, by feelings of fear, uncertainty and anxiety. The individual, if he is not to find it, can reach such a degree of anguish that he can take control of his life, sometimes leading him to his death.

There are thinkers and theoreticians who have devoted themselves to studying this phenomenon and their ideas serve as a framework for this research. Some of them are: Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939), Carl Jung (1875 - 1961), Alfred Adler (1870 - 1937), Viktor Frankl (1905 - 1997) and Jean Paul Sastre (1905 - 1980).

Jean Paul Sastre in his book The existentialism is a humanism (EDHASA, 2007) presents the existentialist vision of anguish: "First of all, what is meant by anguish? The existentialist usually declares that man is anguish. This means that the man who commits and realizes that he is not only the one who chooses to be, but also a legislator, who chooses at the same time as he himself to the whole humanity, he can not escape the feeling of his total and profound responsibility. "(Sartre 5) In simple words, anguish is the result of the responsibility that the human being feels with his decisions.

On the other hand, Viktor E. Frankl (1905 - 1997) reflects from his dramatic and transcendental experiences with extreme anguish. In his book The Man in Search of Meaning (Editorial Herder, 1991) he shares with us that the search for this meaning is through suffering and that "the main interest of man is not to find pleasure, or to avoid pain, but to find a meaning to life, which is why the man is willing to suffer even if that suffering has a meaning. "(Frankl 111)

There are different types and levels of anguish for each particular case and different ways to channel it. According to Sigmund Freud's theory of anguish, there are three types: the real or objective, the neurotic, and the moral; each one provoked by different sources and capable of affecting different aspects of the human personality. (Hall 69)

It is intrinsic to the anguish to be felt or experienced. Calvin S. Hall in his book Compendium of Freudian Psychology (Paidós, 984) tells us about anguish: "We will say in passing that there is no unconscious anguish, in the same way that there is no unconscious pain. One can not identify the reason for their distress, but can not ignore the feeling of anguish. The anguish that is not experienced, does not exist. "(Hall 70) Freud adds on this subject in Inhibition, symptom and anguish (Biblioteca nueva, 2001):" These sensations show that motor innervation participates in the total process of the anguish, that is to say , discharge processes. "(Freud 2860) In this way, the presence of anguish is justified as a driving source, in this creative case, and how the selected artist, motivated by his anguished feelings, finds meaning in his life through his work.

In addition to the thoeries framed on anguish and the personality of Sigmund Freud and on the existentialism of Sastre and Frankl, the present investigative work will also come closer to some theories of Jung and Adler. In the first chapter, "Angustia", we will work with the personality theory (it, me and the superego) and Sigmund Freud's second theory of anguish. In addition, some aspects of the theories about the anguish of Carl Jung and Alfred Adler are presented. In the second chapter, "Existentialism", we will work with the search for the meaning of life and the logotherapy of Viktor E. Frankl, who postulates that the encounter of this meaning is through suffering. Finally, in the third chapter, "Edvard Munch (1863-1944): life and work", we will work with the life experiences of the painter, launching a look at how his life is reflected directly in his works. It will identify how the feeling of anguish plays a leading role in his work through the theme, the use of colors and technique.

End of Introduction. Complete written work available at the School of Plastic Arts and Design of Puerto Rico or upon request.