How Wall Art Affects the Psychology of a Room
Trying to complete a room with the perfect art piece? Let science guide you with some helpful tips about the psychology of art.
Art’s Impact on the Brain
Art is not merely pretty to look at—it can have a measurable impact on your mood and mental state. Many studies have examined the effect of art on human beings and found various positive impacts on biological markers of stress and happiness. For example, viewing art has been found to affect blood pressure, levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, and subjective descriptions of stress in the participants surveyed. It has long been known that art is a source of enjoyment for people, but now we know that this enjoyment can have a real effect on the mind and body.
Because of its notable positive impact on well-being, art has become a popular tool used in therapy to aid in the processing of different emotional states. Art can be helpful for exploring negative emotions as well as positive. Research has shown that people derive similar benefits from viewing art that makes them feel negative emotions, such as sadness, as opposed to positive. This is because art allows people to witness the subject matter at a safe distance, engaging in an emotional experience without the potential of immediate physical harm. Art therapists have found many creative ways of using art as a mode of healing and exploration.
What’s In a Color?
Now that you know about the profound effect of art on mood and well-being, how do you go about choosing an art piece that creates the right mood for your space? Color theory is a good place to start. Although there is more research to be done on the specific effects of different colors on the brain, it is understood that they can invoke certain emotional associations. Here is an overview of what tones are suggested by the each main color:
- Red: Passion, intensity, stimulation, anger
- Orange: Enthusiasm, vitality, exuberance
- Yellow: Happiness, motivation, creativity, optimism
- Pink: Kindness, love, tenderness
- Green: Balance, independence, nature
- Blue: Calm, serenity, peace
- Purple: Relaxation, sensitivity, creativity
- Brown: Comfort, security
- Gray: Neutral, calm, unemotional
- White: Hope, new beginnings
- Black: Strength, power, seriousness
With these descriptions in mind, you can make better decisions about which art pieces to collect depending on where you will be placing the art in your home. For example, a primarily orange painting may be perfect for inspiring movement in a workout studio, but won’t be ideal for soothing your child to sleep in their nursery.
The Importance of Subject
The psychological impact of an art piece also depends on what subject matter is being depicted in the art, and how abstract the depiction is. One distinction that divides tastes in the art community is that of representational versus abstract art. Representational art depicts a subject matter that is supposed to be recognizable to the audience, whereas abstract art does not attempt to duplicate real physical items. Many people have a strong aesthetic preference for either representational or abstract art, but might not realize that the difference between the two is more than just visual.
While both types of art have been shown to have a positive impact on people’s mental states, abstract art has been shown to drive more out-of-the-box thinking, and more of an inclination toward looking at how things might evolve in the future. For this reason, abstract art can be a great addition to spaces such as office buildings where people are encouraged to think creatively.
On the contrary, representational art can make people feel grounded in what exists around them. This is one reason why representational art is common in hospitals, to help bring a sense of calm to patients who may be feeling scared and uncertain about their future.
The subject matter of a representational art piece further dictates how the piece will make someone feel. Because of a phenomenon called “biophilia,” humans are instinctively drawn toward the natural world, and feel a sense of calm when looking at plants, animals, and landscapes. Interior decorators can put this phenomenon to good use by displaying paintings of nature when they want to bring calming energy to a space. Human beings are also naturally drawn to images of other humans, so an art piece such as a portrait or scene depicting multiple people can serve as an engaging conversation starter.
At the end of the day, you should rely on your own aesthetic taste to pick the art you purchase. However, it can’t hurt to use psychological data to pinpoint a piece that will resonate with your space on a deeper level.
