Visual art is threaded into the tapestry of culture, granting individuals and communities the ability to mirror their identity through various mediums. From ancient frescoes in uncovered towns to radical graffiti in booming cities, art in culture is essential for the preservation and education of tradition. Beyond the pleasure of aesthetics, art can affect factors like our psychology, economy, and even religious beliefs. Art can also impact communities by visually displaying similarities in different cultures: fostering the understanding of our collective unity despite minor differences. Art can change an individual’s life, whether it be through self-discovery, fame or even fortune but what many people do not understand is that art has the power to completely change your environment as well.
Art can unite people through its visual experience or even through the use of shared, cross-cultural techniques. This can be seen in communities around the world that have never historically crossed paths but ended up adopting similar artistic practices. Such practices are informed by their shared history, such as peoples impacted by colonialism or societies with a shared respect for the Earth. Their art often reflects their beliefs, preserves their culture and welcomes others outside of their community to increase cultural awareness.
Many do not quite understand how art can have impacts on our economy or mentality despite being constantly surrounded by different forms of art. In a 2012 study done by the National Institute of Health, doctors found that displaying engaging artwork in their emergency department waiting rooms significantly decreased restlessness, noise level, as well as the number of queries made at the front desk. Art can also impact an economy’s population through tourism or even decreasing interest through vandalism. Many are even introduced to religion through visual art: architecture, mosaics, illustrations, and even calligraphy.
An essential aspect of visual art in culture is the ability to explore potential symbolism and meaning in a work beyond the surface. An example of this could be a painting of an olive tree with deep roots by a Palestinian artist. To one person, it looks like a tree but to another, they might interpret the tree’s deep roots as their roots to the land. The tree then becomes a symbol of beauty, perseverance and resilience. There is often a story being told behind the canvas; it is only a matter of knowledge and looking deeper that reveals its meaning.
Visual art plays a crucial role in cultural cohesion, preservation, and even education. By fostering unity, maintaining traditions, protecting history and impacting economic situations, art can be described as one of the most powerful tools of a generation. This is something we engage with even here at Mt. A: one fourth-year Fine Arts student in particular, Ella Webber, confirms this: “I attended an arts high school, so my formative years were spent in a very artistic environment […] being surrounded by a ton of other people who cared about art made a huge difference in my own pursuit of an artistic career.” Webber perceives art as a challenge to unite communities and nurture connections: “With the art that I make I hope to foster connections and bring people together […] using art as a tool to transform and create things is an incredible experience; the fact that art has the capacity to make the world more beautiful and interesting excites me.” Today, it might seem like we are surrounded by an abundance of powers working to divide rather than unite us, but art is continuous throughout every culture, age group, language, and religion; it unilaterally shapes the human condition.
