When Art Imitates Life

A recent museum study in the Netherlands found that live, in-person viewing of artwork elicits emotional and physiological responses that are 10x greater than viewing a reproduction or copy. Real-life art activiates the precuneus, the part of the brain associated with self-reflection and personal engagement. 

Yesterday, I was able to witness the moving impact of this kind of art engagement firsthand during an arts-based workshop at a local hospital. Those in attendance, who ranged from housekeeping staff to physicians to administrators, disclosed that they were feeling preoccupied and grieving a sudden loss of a colleague over the weekend. 

They then engaged in a mindful practice of art observation of a series of Barbara Bachner paintings on-site, analyzing how the artist may have used the materials to produce a desired effect, even tracing the shapes in the air with paintbrushes to further bring the experience to life.

When invited to creatively process with writing and materials inspired by Bachner’s work, the mood was contemplative and somber. Then one participant offered to share her painting, a gestural autumn scene inspired by Bachner’s visceral color palette. She reflected how she is often confronted with loss at work due to working in a geriatric setting. The leaves, bursting with color in their final days, represented a preciousness around life’s impermanence, and the importance of appreciating beauty and presence whenever we can. It was a beautiful representation of the power of arts engagement and the meaning that can be created when we allow art to imitate life, even for a moment. #artastherapy #artheals #artsinmedicine #creativeresilience #artcenteredpractice

Post and Photos by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C

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