The Power of Art

by Lindsay Lawson
Lindsay.lawson@artschoolreview.com
Art School Review Senior Writer

When an artist expresses their thoughts with a painting or sculpture, they bring a little more beauty into the world around them. But art can be more than decoration – art can be a powerful tool. Here are a few examples of the power of art.

Art as Social/Political Commentary

The power of art is often harnessed for the purpose of commentary or protest against political and social issues. The American photographer Dorothea Lange is famous for her series of 1930's Depression era portraits, which brought the suffering and poverty of Middle America into focus.

Peter Saul's painting, Typical Saigon, from 1968 was a graphic and horrifying depiction of the atrocities occurring in Saigon during the Vietnam War. His paintings shed light on the harsh mistreatment of the Vietnamese people during the US occupation, a fact that the government-censored media was keeping quiet.

Art as an Emotional Experience or Conversation

American painting in the 1940s became very experiential and emotional with a movement called Abstract Expressionism. Artists such as Jackson Pollack, Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman pushed the envelope and forced people to think and feel rather than just view art. These artists abandoned figures and realism for strong color, movement, and emotional reaction.

Pollack's famous "drip paintings" and Rothko's massive red square paintings are evocative and moving pieces. These artists began a powerful conversation with their society when they posed the question, "what defines art?"

Art as Therapy and Healing

Art has the power to bring people together, soften heartache, and illuminate emotions. For example, artists create pieces to serve as memorials of loss and offer comfort in a time a grieving.

Art Therapy is a process which uses art to explore the emotions of terminally ill patients. Through painting or sculpture a cancer patient can explore emotions and concepts too difficult to talk about. It is amazing how the act of expressing oneself through art can free the mind.

About the Author

Lindsay Lawson is a staff writer for HQ Publications. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art History, with a minor in painting, from Santa Clara University. She also studied abroad at Syracuse University in Florence, Italy. Lindsay was born and raised on the island of Hawaii but currently resides in Palo Alto, CA.

Posted on June 16, 2005 at 06:01 PM