Psychospa Spa Treatments For Your Neuroses 2011-06-14 03:30:36

Artists Sonia and Mark Whitesnow have an interesting new photo series out called Psychospa, featuring fictitious spa treatments that improve the psyche instead of the body. This is the "ironic world of Psychospa, a world which reflects modern man living in a metropolis, unsociable and full of fears and anxieties, but attracted to nature," according to the Whitesnows. "Driven by a set of procedures such as therapeutic mud baths, volcanic minerals, plants, chocolate, and honey, his inner energy awakes," they explain. "The man turns into a strong and resolute creature with a significant moment of clearing the body."

The photos are lovely, but the symbolism here is rather vague for a series so focused on the human psyche and catharsis. All the "spa treatments" have Latin names tangentially related to what's being conveyed in the photo, but it would be nice to have a little more semiotic guidance so that we can better appreciate what they're doing with this putative blending of spa and psychotherapy. I've tried to parse what each of these procedures is about. What do you think they're treating?

Source: Sonia and Mark Whitesnow