Art has been used for centuries to convey various messages to an intended audience. From
the most primal days of cave drawings used to depict which animals were easiest to hunt
for, best to stay away from, and storytelling of journeys, art has been a key facet in cultural
expression throughout human existence. Art preserves what fact-based historical records
cannot, how it felt to exist in a particular place and time. Art essentially is communication,
it allows people from different cultures and times to communicate with each other via
images, sounds, and stories.
Here in St. Louis, people have the opportunity to visit the Art Museum for free of charge.
If you have never been to the St. Louis Art Museum, I implore you to look at their website
and explore some of their featured work. The art on display at the museum ranges from
various paintings, machinery, statues, sculptures, preserved items from the Roman,
Egyptian, and Greek empires, as well as more abstract ideals and large exhibitions that are
interactive. The picture below is a PAINTING done by a father of his daughter that looks
exactly like a photo taken by a camera. Each time I visit this display I look closer each
time to prove to myself this really is a painting and not a picture, the detail is so accurate
that you can barely see the brush strokes until you are practically breathing on the piece.
Art utilizes discrete styles to send social messages about the artists’ experience, opinions,
or recent world events. By telling and sharing stories, art influences our wellness and
creative expression. From the artist’s point of view, it may serve as an outlet to send social
messages, make statements, or just provide the world a glimpse of how they perceive it.
From the viewer’s perspective, art may serve as inspiration, outlets, and stimulation to our
minds. In my opinion, art helps others to see certain events from a perspective different
from that of their own. My favorite pieces usually fall under the “bold”, “uncanny”, or
“explicit”, because when I look at artwork that can be disturbing, or painful to realize, I
get a glimpse of the other side. Of the story written by the details painted into the chains of
servants, the time of day conveyed by a portrait of a woman looking at the sky out of her
window, and the minor details etched into a sailors hat that allows the viewer to explore
more about the story being told.
By using powerful imagery, colors and hues, artists can show social implications that force
the viewers to ponder about social issues such as women’s rights, political violence,
farmers suicide, social injustice, and so much more. Art can be an essential facet to our
wellness in that it is different from journaling, reading, or talking with a friend. It can
allow us to be our most authentic selves and divulge all our secrets, opinions, and
experiences without speaking about the happenings out loud. The art usually does all of
the talking, but it is within the outlet of creating and enjoying art that fulfills our wellness,
and serves as an outlet to express our feelings and capture our world as we see it,
uniquely.
Reference:
Betty. Saint Louis Art Museum. (2022, June 25). Retrieved July 24, 2022,
fromhttps://www.slam.org/collection/objects/23250/
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