The influence of family relationships on modern artists

This study aims to investigate how the familial relationships of modern painters are reflected in their art. Specifically, it seeks to explore the aesthetic reflections of the theme of "attachment" in the works of artists who grew up in negative family relationships. The primary objective of this study is to examine how the artists' personal attachment styles are reflected in the structural features of their works, including their color and rhythm preferences, object representations, and material usage. The research examines the life stories of leading figures in modern art such as Arshile Gorky, Fikret Mualla, Jackson Pollock, and Yayoi Kusama. It includes their writings, aphorisms, scientific articles, and the visuals of their selected artworks that reflect their personal expressions. To understand how negative family relationships are mirrored in the works of these artists, specific pieces by these artists were analyzed. The data were analyzed through thematic elements in the artists' works, the emotional tone of the colors used, the technical dynamism exhibited by the forms during their creation, and improvisation. This research has revealed that the childhood experiences and traumatic relationships of the artists are indirectly visualized through recurring motifs, symbols, or figures in their works. It demonstrates that artists overcome their personal challenges and steps toward self-identity through artistic creativity, reflecting what seem to be negative problems in a positive manner. Analyzing the aesthetic and structural features of the artworks through attachment theory has helped us understand how the personal experiences of the artists are reflected in their artistic expressions. The research findings have highlighted how the familial relationships of modern painters are aesthetically reflected in their works and shown how critical a role attachment theory plays in understanding art.