Bion Maquette

50th anniversary of Wilfred Bion's death - fundraising appeal

Wilfred Bion made an outstanding contribution to psychoanalysis in his clinical work and in metapsychology. As the 50th anniversary of his death approaches, the Institute of Psychoanalysis in London propose to commission a bronze bust of Bion by Billie Bond, an internationally recognised sculptor who deals with trauma in her work.

Andrew Briggs (Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists) and Bob Hinshelwood (British Psychoanalytical Society) are asking for donations for this commission of a life-size bust so that we can all honour Bion and his hugely significant contribution to psychoanalytic thinking.

In order to donate please follow this link: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/andrew-briggs-199


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Authored on :
29/01/2024by :
Jackie Horsburgh

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Wilfred Bion made an outstanding contribution to psychoanalysis, both clinical work and metapsychology. Unlike so many with his level of achievement he has not left a legacy of any formal organisation or school of thought. This reflects his efforts to bridge diverse schools of psychoanalytic thought rather than to contribute a new one. Despite this, his achievement and lasting reputation do seem to warrant a lasting memorial. As 2029, and the 50th anniversary of his death (in 1979) approaches, we propose to commission a bronze bust of Bion in order to celebrate him. Thus, his will join those of Freud and Klein in the London Institute. A maquette for that bust was made by the portrait sculptor Billie Bond SPS MRSS and is pictured on this page. 

 

Billie Bond https://www.billiebondart.com is a portrait sculptor who brings a deep understanding of trauma to her work. She is very aware of the tension between fragility and resilience in the human psyche. In some of her collections she translates the subject's inner being through a surface disrupted by breakage and the evidence of subsequent repair. This process derives from the Japanese Kintsugi, the repair of broken ceramics with gold, a philosophy of seeing beauty in imperfection. Although this is not the art she is using for the Bion bust, nevertheless Billie sees Bion's well known trauma beneath the calm surface of his facial presentation. Some of her commissions explore human mental health crises. In researching for this commission Billie has become interested in some of Bion's ideas especially about containment and the transformation of meaninglessness into meaning.

 

Andrew Briggs: Member of the Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists. Is working as an organisational consultant and psychotherapist since retiring from the NHS. Currently preparing a publication applying some of Bion's ideas to the general and political denial of the climate emergency. 

Bob Hinshelwood: Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society. Emeritus Professor, University of Essex. Most recent publication: W.R.Bion as Clinician.