A Brief Guide To The Power Of Art

By Jaclyn Hurley


People can be cynical about art. However there is a lot of great artwork out there in the world. Whether it is a hand crafted sculpture or a watercolour there are many ways in which a work of art can have an effect on people. In short it is worth knowing the power of art and how it can affect us in a number of ways.

An excellent example of a powerful artwork is the Sistine Chapel in Rome. This is something that took over a decade to complete. While the picture of Adam touching fingers with God is something that has been parodied for years the real thing is something truly beautiful.

For other people he was a key part of the pop culture movement of the sixties. As well as his influence on art he was also very influential in the fields of music, fashion and film as well. Salvador Dali is another excellent example of someone whose surreal artwork was initially criticised but has since become influential in terms of famous surreal imagery.

In some cases the power of a work of art can come from its impact on popular culture. For example images from comic books have become symbols in and of themselves. A person can wear the image of a superhero on their T shirt without necessarily being a fan of that comic book.

In the sixties this was taken further with artists such as Andy Warhol who used commercial methods in his artwork. The prints and works he created were a reaction to the advertising and consumerism that was happening in the post war era. Ironically his prints have since gone on to be much sought commodities and have often been copied and parodied since.

Another positive aspect of how art can be powerful is in how it can change lives. Art therapy is often used by therapists in order to help people express themselves. Often things that people can have difficulty saying in words can find it a lot to easier to communicate their feelings via art.

Banksy is of course one in a long line of artists using art as a way of making statements. Arguably he is the descendant of the modern art methods of Andy Warhol. His approach was very much about how art had become commercialised and used commercial methods such as print making to create his work.

However you do not necessarily need to be a celebrity or travel to Rome in order to appreciate art. There are galleries and art exhibitions in places all around the world where you can see a wide range of pieces both familiar and unfamiliar. Use your regular search engine to find artwork in your local area and to find the powerful pieces that will inspire you.




About the Author: