Why does art matter?
The impacts of fine art photography range from the everyday experience provided by interior design to the heights of sculpting culture and painting a portrait of one’s personality. Wall art is important.
A home is a place where we plant our flag. It’s a place where we can define the parameters of our existence, where we can control the conditions of our environment, and where we can show guests a glimpse of our inner world made external. Art is a central element in this microcosmic world.
As German painter Gerrit Oppellhand-Hampel puts it, visual art “is what the eyes are in the face: they attract because they are speaking.”
Let’s take a journey through that window and look closely at how fine art impacts our lives.
Art is a Reflection of the Owner’s Personality
The work we do, the values we hold, and the causes we support are all components of how we bring our personality to bear. When we display art, whether it’s at home or in the office, that personality manifests into physical reality. We can touch it, look at it, and move it from place to place. It’s a corporeal representation of something that’s otherwise much more abstract.
When we step into someone’s home, the decoration tells a story. Souvenirs tell of the places we’ve been, heirlooms give a family history, and art speaks of aesthetic sensibilities. What does this person find beautiful? What kinds of colors, textures, and images are they drawn towards?
This all originates from one’s personality. The nature-lover who grew up near San Francisco may hang a shot of Yosemite’s mountains while the travel-hungry urbanite may prefer one of Tokyo’s skyline. A more formal and structured person may opt for symmetries and repetition, while eclectic crowds prefer asymmetries and free-form displays.
One last comparison that we should note is that art is like fashion for a room. We present ourselves to society through our clothing choices; fashion can speak on everything from social status to the circles we inhabit. Likewise, fine art photography dresses up our walls for the world to see.
Contribution to Culture
Art and culture are intimately interwoven. Images are powerful forces for people’s understanding of themselves and of each other. That’s one reason that historians study art to understand the past and why anthropologists study it to learn about world cultures.
Essentially, we want to take our argument from the previous section one step further. If an individual piece of art is a reflection of one’s personality, an artistic movement brings a mirror to the culture from which that movement is born.
However, let’s keep in mind that every movement is composed of many disparate parts. When we buy a piece of fine art photography to hang on our wall, we make a statement about the kind of world we want to live in.
When we feed something it grows. When it comes to growing the kind of culture that we can be proud of, supporting and displaying art nourishes that seed. This is the light that illuminates our cultural values.
It goes beyond our individual likes and dislikes. It’s about what we, together, find beautiful.
Starting a Conversation
When we step into a room, one of the first things we notice is the art hanging on the walls. This is especially true if the host chose bold colors or vibrant designs. This focal point provides an immediate common ground for starting a conversation.
After all, let’s face it. Sometimes, when we enter an acquaintance’s home or office, it can be awkward at first. Yet, any good host knows that the key to hospitality is creating a welcoming and comfortable environment. Tasteful art goes a long way towards accomplishing that goal.
Even among friends and family, art can help us elevate the quality of our conversations. ArtHOPE’s founder Laura Jaquays writes, “Observing a work of art can start a conversation that invites us to explore ourselves and the world around us. It prompts curiosity and a desire to go deeper, to discover something yet undiscovered in our point of view and the view we are experiencing.”
Art’s implications can range from cerebral to personal. If you hang a picture of a particular landscape, it invites your guests to share their feelings or associations with that place.
Let’s say you have a landscape photo of the Grand Canyon. Maybe your guest recently took a vacation to the Grand Canyon, or maybe they are amazed by the geological forces that created this natural wonder–either way, you now have an easy way to get the conversation flowing.
Effects On the Space
From an interior design perspective, fine art photographs have an enormous effect on the space. Interior designers agree that artwork can often make or break a space. While many people come to art as an afterthought, only once the walls are painted and the furniture is in place, a better approach involves planning ahead with the art in mind.
Art can introduce movement into a room. It can dictate or enhance a color palette. It can feature prominently as a focal point, or we can use it in subtler ways to add sophistication. Overall, art transforms rooms at an intuitive level.
We don’t need to think too long and hard about it. Design elicits immediate, visceral reactions. These reactions are natural and unavoidable.
That’s why, at the end of the day, we want to pick art that makes us feel good and that ‘makes sense’ in the context of the room. Thankfully, the options are plentiful. Please take a moment to browse our portfolio and imagine the effect that some of your favorites would have on the room you’re in.
Who knows? You might just discover something new.
