Gallery Talk: Portrait of the Artist as a Coffee Bean/Being by Dr. Mavis Himes

The program promises a fascinating exploration of WILLIAM KENTRIDGE’S film series, SELF-PORTRAIT AS A COFFEE POT, through Dr. Mavis Himes’ insightful psychoanalytic lens. She will reflect upon the creative process in the studio, the shifting and uncertainty of meaning, the dichotomy of whimsy and seriousness, and the multisensory nature of Kentridge’s work. This perspective invites the audience to consider how artistic expression embodies internal psychological dynamics and the fluidity of identity, encouraging a nuanced dialogue about the intersection of art and mind. The program will conclude with a Q&A offering an opportunity for informal conversation, fostering an exchange of ideas.

Dr. Mavis Himes is a Toronto-based psychoanalyst. She holds an MA and PhD in psychology from the University of Toronto, and completed her Lacanian analytic training at the Après-Coup Psychoanalytic Association in New York. From 2003 to 2013, Himes directed Speaking of Lacan, a Toronto forum that fostered dialogue between psychoanalysis and the arts. She is also the author of three non-fiction books, including The Sacred Body: A Therapist’s Journey (Stoddart, 2002), The Power of Names (2016), and Cello Notes: Music and the Urgency of Time (2024), in addition to writing in both academic and non-academic journals.