Table of Contents
Introduction
In the past, philosophers that include Aristotle and other scholars have considered art as a subject since the Catharsis times (Nader & Moosa, 2012). In psychology, Freud was the first person to apply art. As such, psychoanalytic and art benefitted from each other during the time of Freud. Freud, in some of his hand writings and theses pays specific attention to the psychological effects on the masterpieces of art to the audience. Thus, he considers the activities of art as vital instruments that help in the psychoanalytic analysis of the individual personality.
Psychology of art
The psychology of art exists as the interdisciplinary subject, which focuses on the depiction of the productions and characteristics of art, as well as understanding and developing perceptions on art. Thus, psychology of art can be classified into two categories, which are environmental psychology and structural psychology (Malchiodi, 2017). Environmental psychology relates to the conditions in the environment and their mutual interactions with one another. Structural psychology refers to the mind characteristics during the time for the communication and production of the art work. These two categories are essential since they help in depicting the opinion and perception of the human beings and what surrounds them in society.
Individuals who depict strong interest in drawing, architecture, music, and sculpture consider the psychological concept of perception as a serious matter since art is rooted on providing meanings on phenomena and incidents and it is perceptive. Art entails the depiction of the creative ideas of a person (Malchiodi, 2017). In psychology, creativity is considered as a new way and innovative thinking, which is similar to what is depicted in art. Thus, modern psychology has a great exposure to art where beauty is considered by several psychologists on a social and cultural perspective.
People that have interest in art psychology depict positive attitude to its concepts and meanings. Wolflin and Veringer are examples of people who have associated art with psychology (Nader & Moosa, 2012). Other artists that include Gabo, Kips, Kandinsky, and Kelly also engaged in the depiction of the relationship that exists between psychology and art. Hence, art psychology development occurred between 1950s and 1970s and this was accompanied by the growth of history of art.
The works of Carl Jung illustrate how psychology is tied to artistic works. The approach of Jung on psychology emphasized that there should be the comprehension of the psyche, which occurs through the exploration of worlds of art, dreams, philosophy, and religion (Nader & Moosa, 2012). Thus, he emphasized that there should be harmony and balance since the several experiences in the life of a person occur because of the manifestation of parallel circumstances or events. Jackson Pollock also created several artistic drawings that accompany the psychoanalytic sessions of Jung. As such, Pollock indicated that drawings were essential and powerful therapeutic tools.
Art depiction of psychology
A great part of art, involves the use of speech and pen, which is considered in psychology as literary and verbal intelligence (Nader & Moosa, 2012). The ability to have both literary and verbal skills is considered multi intelligence. Several art schools considered speech and pen as the most important and significant features, which have to be taken into consideration. Thus, the idea is generated and conveyed through the speech and eventually put in a visual form through the use of the pen.
The creation of artworks and art ensures that individuals do not become social deviant in the community. Thus, their psychological and mental needs are pacified by the anxious hearts. An instructor in art who focuses on applying these skills to the students has to focus on how to hold the giant abilities, as well as addressing the mental problems, which have the potential of creating physical discomforts in the classroom environment (Brucker, 2017). Hence, art creates a chance for individuals to engage in social life and prevents them from falling victims of mental madness, which creates several psychological problems that a person can face in his or her entire life. The willingness of individuals to engage in different verbal, kinesthetic, fantasy, and expressive jobs and arts improves their psychological and mental conditions and contributes significantly to the economic development in society.
The greater creativity of a person bears the fruits of great happiness. Thus, the creative process in art acts as the main source of joy for people in the community. The creative powers assist individuals in solving some of the problems, which they face on daily basis. Semir Zeki research from the University of London depicted that art is related to the increase of the dopamine, as well as the brain activity in the frontal cortex (Malchiodi, 2017). These results in the development of feelings of pleasure that are related to those feelings that individuals develop because of romance. Further, a person is able to develop positive sensation because of viewing an enjoyable art work.
Art creates an opportunity for individuals to focus on positive sensations of exploration, stimulating challenges, and relaxation (Brucker, 2017). These assist them in forgetting life stresses and challenges, which could negative impact their physical and mental well-being. Furthermore, individuals get a chance to master new skills and abilities that help them in transforming what is painful into something that is positive. In psychology, therapies are provided by the therapists that seek to change the painful situation into a positive one. Hence, art and psychology are inevitably intertwined.
Visual exploration is a dynamic and active process that involves gathering information related to the world. As such, personal and contextual factors play a significant role in influencing the dynamic visual exploration. Further, context can either hinder or facilitate the identification and recognition of the objects (Brucker, 2017). On the other hand, cognitive, motivational, and emotional states determine what people look for and for how long they engage in searching for the information. The time that is taken to have a visual exploration of the object tends to inform the interestingness, emotional relevance, and aesthetic appeal. These depict that the psychological elements are present in the domain of art. Thus, the two subjects are interrelated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, art and psychology are two subjects that correlate to one another. The work of the artist is a process, which is rational and conscious that it is tamed reality. Therefore, a person who wants to become an outstanding artist he or she should ensure that he can capture, alter, and preserve the experiences in memory and express them into a shape. These processes improve the emotional and physical well-being since an individual remains engaged in the artistic work and there is no room for failure.
- Brucker, C. (2017). Is there a relationship between art and theory of mind? A review of findings. Psychology master’s theses, 18.
- Malchiodi, C. (2017). Art and happiness.
- Nader, K, & Moosa, J. (2012). The relationship between art and psychology. Journal of life science and biomedicine. 2 (4), 129-133.