Tuesday, 11 March 2014

A Brief Guide To The Power Of Art

By Jaclyn Hurley


There are many different ways that a work of art can affect people. What someone can describe as powerful may be different for other people. What is true is that for almost anyone there will be some form of artwork that will affect their lives. Whether it is a painting, a sculpture or a performance the power of art is something that can be inspiring, uplifting and thought provoking.

Of course it is debatable what people define as art and what people believe to be powerful. For example a lot of people may be derisive about the works of Andy Warhol. They may feel that the creator of pop art who famously declared that one day everyone would be famous for fifteen minutes was in fact more of a marketing creation than he was an artist.

The power often comes from the message within the art. In the case of Michelangelo a lot of his works have been associated with religious fervour as shown with the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or an iconic representation of form such as his stature of David. The Sistine Chapel is something that is difficult to convey if you do not see in person because the way it has been painted has an almost three dimensional quality that is not easy to show in prints or in image searches on the internet.

The idea of something being powerful is something that can be debated. In terms of films an image can often stay in your mind. Sometimes these powerful images can also be controversial such as the iconic Nazi propaganda piece Triumph of The Will or the DW Griffiths silent epic about the rise of the Ku Klux Klan The Birth of A Nation.

Naturally art will affect people in different ways. What one person is inspired by a person can also be bemused by. Often the meaning of an artwork can be lost and people may not fully appreciate this on the first viewing of a piece. In other cases it may be that somebody gets the message but does not like the style. A good example of this is Bristol based anonymous graffiti artist Banksy. When his stencil work was first exhibited it was considered a nuisance and was quickly removed. Over time it has since become something that celebrities have spent thousands on at auction.

Another way in which art can be powerful is in how it can change lives. It is often a way for people who would ordinarily have trouble expressing themselves finding ways to communicate their feelings through the artwork. It is often used as a method of therapy especially when people may be shy and resistant to more orthodox methods of therapy.

This is why art lessons in school are often positive. It gives children space to be creative. While learning techniques are important there is something to be said for giving people the space to be creative and feel confident that they can get engage with something and make something that they will be happy to share with people.

The good thing about the internet is that it is now easier to share art with people around the world. Whether you make your own pieces or you want to share your favourite works with other people there are lots of ways to learn more about the diverse styles of artwork available around the world. It is also worth checking to see what exhibitions and pieces are available in your local area.




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