Why Do We Need Art in Our Lives?

I am reminded of a recent conversation a friend and I had about life. We considered the meaningful aspects that make life beautiful and bind us together: connection, love, and care for others. These have been the cornerstones of human existence since we first walked the earth. Another cornerstone of our species is creativity and art.

Art has been a source of joy and fulfillment for humanity since the dawn of our species’ existence.

People have displayed their art since the dawn of time. Is the cave painting below the earliest hint of a need for art in our lives?

A 45,500-year-old prehistoric Indonesian cave painting.(Image credit: Maxime Aubert, Griffith University, Nathan QLD, Australia)

Although survival was a daily necessity, artistic expression was already deeply ingrained in our early minds.

Alongside their care for one another and their community, the need for creative expression was unmistakable. The walls of their cave homes became galleries, adorned with abstract handprints, visual stories of hunting conquests, and depictions of fellow humans who were revered and loved.

Art was a definite element of our prehistoric ancestors' lives, and it continues to hold profound meaning for us today.

Art brings infinite grandeur, calm, and fulfillment to our otherwise, sometimes ordinary lives; some scientists even say it makes our brains happy.

Does that mean we all need art to be more emotionally balanced?

Why do we need art in our lives?

Art makes our brain curious and engaged, which is excellent for its health. It is also vital because it makes us emotionally healthier, happier, more alert, and more curious.

Art, for example, can be mystifying. But because of that, our brain returns to it to figure it out, resulting in a dopamine (happiness/curiosity-causing) release.

So, when we are deluged with artwork everywhere, how do we decide which art delivers the most impactful emotional and design-wise return?

Art makes our brain curious and engaged, which is excellent for its health.

Creativity is crucial for enhancing our emotional well-being and providing us with comfort and reassurance.

The earliest artists from prehistoric times (read more here) were capable of abstract thought and were aware of the importance of art in their culture. Today, we love art to be in the places we inhabit, our homes, our offices, and public spaces. It has been proven over and over that art makes us emotionally healthier. Given that it was in the very DNA of our earliest Homo sapiens, it should be no surprise that art’s richness is something we are all connected to.

Do our brains need art?

Award-winning London artist Jade Brown

An article by Hamilton’s Sally McKay for Canadian Art magazine recounts the results of a neuroscientific experiment regarding art and its effect on brain activity:

During the experiment, conducted by Semir Zeki involving people looking at art while in an art gallery, it was noted that when a test subject experienced a beautiful image (established by each of the subjects individually), it was determined that the beautiful image caused people, in turn, to “draw on their own life experiences to find beauty in some of the images” In other words, in some cases (not all) the beautiful image spurred them to pull thoughts of pleasure out of their brains, attributing a correlation between the dopamine release/a desire for pleasure.

The article goes on to note that "artists, curators and museum marketers do sometimes appropriate the language of neuroscience to affirm the value of art", which ultimately narrows our exploration of our individual interpretation and perspective of an artistic piece.

Interior designers can help us to choose art; often, they are crucial in guiding a client's art choices.

Interior designers can be crucial in guiding a client's art choices. Most humans may only sometimes know what type of art they want or even understand the connection their brain wants to engage with; an interior designer's expertise can help them determine this. Through conversation with a client and by supplying examples of existing art online, clients can start thinking about how they want to engage with art and what they might want from it. Their suggestions may be less biased than those of a gallery owner and may even include trips to various galleries or works by collaborating independent artists.

Types of art you should consider having:

1. A large waterscape or landscape is perfect for the main living space if nature is essential to the client. It will remind them of their connection to the world. The piece can be representational or semi-abstract to suit the feel of the newly designed and styled interior.

2. For a more intimate space, such as a bedroom, a piece of art that evokes a sense of calm and relaxation might be more suitable.

3. Some people love art pieces with less obvious, abstract, minimalist, or colourful messages. They are attracted to abstract thoughts, like our early artists whose cave paintings depicted the first interior design suggestion.

4. The desire to feel happiness is also vital when choosing art; pleasant brush strokes in happy colours enliven rooms in just the right way.

We are all a result of our lived experiences and social conditions, which inform our art choices.

However, there is also a compelling argument for art that intentionally engages curiosity or tension, stimulating our intellect and decision-making abilities.

In conclusion, a mix of art pieces and styles is the perfect solution for happiness and engagement with an imaginative mindset, and it may lead to a future art collector.

Citations:

McDermott, A. (2021). What was the first “art”? How would we know? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(44), e2117561118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2117561118