The influence of art on society

We can find the most basic definition of the term “art” as a movement whose purpose is aesthetic, which attempts to create something physical as a result of a thought or idea, but this is no more than a simplification of what art really means within our society and whose definition does not reflect the impact or the reality of what it brings to us as a collective.

Human beings, since the beginning, have been artists of our times, in every culture, organism or group, artistic elements have been found that define or represent the emotions, concerns or experiences of humanity, from a cave painting to the latest piece of art currently created. But … How does art affect us and what functions does it really have in society?

– Art as a means of expression:
Art has always been used as a manifestation of the needs and emotions of those who put it into practice, a way of expressing oneself without words, reflecting with the use of different elements a thought, a desire… which is gradually moulded and ends up converging into something real and tangible that helps us in a certain way to define it and capture it in the physical world.

– Art as a means of social criticism:
One of the most widely used tools in social denunciation is art, since, as we have mentioned above, it is possible to criticise an idea without having to express it directly in words and, in a certain way, it defies conventional methods of criticism. In this way, a work of art can become a loudspeaker for the general desire of society and, at the same time, serve as a union of the same thought.

– Art as therapy:
Human beings are complex beings and sometimes words are not enough or we are not able to communicate in this way if we are going through a difficult process in our lives. This is where art comes in as a therapeutic tool. Artistic elements help us to create a bridge between our deepest thoughts and emotions and the reality around us, so it can help us in a complementary way to express ourselves and have a direct influence on ourselves and our health.

– Art as a bridge between the meaning of things and their representation –

This way of working on ourselves through artistic methods of expression is something that we work on throughout our lives, directly or indirectly from the time we are small, which is why, in a more educational environment, the use of art as a tool to stimulate the personal development of a person can be very beneficial in their personal development.

In short, the creative process and artistic expression helps people to resolve conflicts, to be more aware of themselves and to learn to manage certain emotions and thoughts that other techniques are not able to solve.