ABSTRACT

Fundamental to any understanding of Edith Kramer as an art therapist, artist, writer, or human being is her notion of quality. Comprising a rich vein of her thinking, Edith was devoted to the authentic and often railed against the ersatz. Personal recollection informs the author’s explication of how Edith implemented her notion of quality in areas spanning art therapy, the written word, and art, whether high or low. Consistent with Edith’s thinking, the author puts forth a “principle of clarity” to resolve the conundrum between the “aesthetic” attitude and the requisite non-judgmental position endemic to good art therapy.