Beauty in Art has a huge effect on our happiness and wellbeing
Is there anything quite as lovely as watching a sunset? How does it make you feel? How can you calibrate the emotion?
A sunset is naturally beautiful. It raises our mood and helps us feel joyful just as so many elements of nature can. But natural beauty is not always available to us, especially if we live in cities. Some of us barely see daylight during the winter, let alone a stunning sunset. And yet many of us have an aesthetic hunger for beauty, even if we can’t quite quantify it.
Enter art and the beauty of manmade objects.
BEAUTIFUL THINGS MAKE US FEEL GOOD
Since the beginning of time we have adorned ourselves with elaborate jewellery and clothes and aspired to live in beautiful spaces. Even ancient cookery utensils were intricately patterned and decorated when, in essence, they were only serving a function.
Look at the ancient cave paintings from thousands of years ago. What is it in us that yearns for beauty in our lives?
Perhaps because it makes us feel good and helps to lift us out of the mundane. But more than that.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECT OF ART
Research has shown that looking at art, that we appreciate, can raise serotonin levels and enhances our brain function and emotions. Looking at something that we consider to be beautiful can raise dopamine levels, giving a rather similar feeling to being in love.
Appreciating art can even help make us healthier. A study of 200 young adults by Dr Jennifer Stellar at California University, Berkeley, noted that when the subjects experienced positive emotions such as awe, contentment, joy, and love – but particularly wonder and amazement – they had lower levels of cytokine Interleukin 6 which is a marker of inflammation. Cytokines are part of our bodies’ arsenal to fight infection as well as diabetes, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s.
BEAUTY IN WORSHIP
Some of the greatest works of art have combined beauty with religion and many denominations, particularly the catholic church, incorporate awe-inspiring pieces. The question is, are these paintings and sculptures there purely as an act of adoration or as a way of invoking an emotionally moving experience during worship. Combine the beauty of the architecture, music and pieces of art, and the experience of wonder and worship merges with the spiritual.
INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATIONS OF BEAUTY
We all have our own tastes but there are certain factors that seem to be universal.
The Golden Ratio
Also known as the Divine Proportion, this is where mathematics meets art. It’s been used in architecture since the Greeks, or even before, and if you admire an ancient building, the chances are the golden ratio is incorporated.
Technically the golden ratio is 1:0.618 and it is perfectly apparent in a beautiful human body. Why is the Mona Lisa one of the most appreciated paintings? Because Leonardo da Vinci used the Golden Ratio. Also shown here in the Vitruvian Man.
Fractal Patterns
Most people will find fractal patterns, perfectly illustrated in nature, as aesthetically pleasing. Visual patterns create harmony and rhythm and help to calm our minds. Again, like the divine proportion, maths is woven into the beauty.
Symmetry
Symmetry is visually appealing. It feels balanced and uncomplicated and has a tranquil aspect.
It’s now a known fact that when choosing a mate, a symmetrical face is subliminally more appealing as it tends to denote health and fertility. Of course, this isn’t something that we will consciously recognize but it’s working there subliminally.
HOW CAN WE BENEFIT FROM BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS?
Anything that uplifts us and enhances our lives has to be a good thing. As we get to a certain age it’s time to look at the objects around us and decide if we really want or need them, so that we can make room in our lives for beauty.
How many of us have decorative items that were gifts that we don’t actually like? Ornaments cluttering our shelves that we’ve kept out of some sort of responsibility to the donor. Perhaps now is the time to clear these away.
Focus on what brings you joy. This doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise and can be broached in small steps. You could start with placing an embroidered cushion near a window that catches the evening sun, hanging a painting that you find pleasing, or placing a bunch of summer roses on the kitchen table. It’s never too late to make small changes – even when you’ve lived in a home for years.
Forget the mundane, rejig your interior and remember that beautiful things in our lives just make us feel happier. That’s got to be a good thing!
