Contemporary Art – Art Therapy

One of my greatest inspirations as a Contemporary Art artist is sharing art therapy and, the healing effects of art. My journey to becoming a full-time artist began with a need to express and process emotions after a great loss. Ever since art has been a powerful outlet for me. As I exhibited and sold works, I also learned how my works positively affected others.

The therapeutic act of making art is now an established natural medicine practice. So too is viewing art. It can have a great effect on mood and stress levels. As you’ll find out below, art has proven effects on health in many ways.

Healing Art: an Age-Old Practice

“Imagery is one of medicine’s oldest and most powerful tools,” writes Ruth Westreich of The Westreich Foundation. “In healing rituals and ceremonies, the imagery of dreams and visions have been used for centuries.” The use of art for health purposes and transformative spiritual experiences has a very long history. The oldest known cave paintings tell us that humans have been using visual forms of expression since at least 64,000 years ago. 

In an article for Artnet, Menachem Wecker writes, “The interest in artfully-decorated healing spaces dates back at least to medieval times. Church-run hospitals doubled as repositories of some of the era’s most important art.” In 1860, Florence Nightingale had observed the powerful healing effects of art. She wrote, “Little as we know about the way in which we are affected by form, by color and light, we do know this, that they have an actual physical effect.” 

Many cultures around the world have long known the healing effects of art. Now, we have the scientific research to support it.

Art and Mental Health – for Artists

For most of us, pinpointing the cause of emotions or stress is not easy. Creative outlets help us explore what we’re feeling or bottling up inside. When I make work, I clear my mind of any expectations of what the final image will look like or what a “good” painting should be. I look inward and trust intuition. As a result, what comes out on the canvas can surprise me. Perhaps I was feeling more energetic or melancholic than I realized. Seeing the resulting paintings helps me understand myself. Art can intensify my emotions and influence how I move forward. 

Researchers have comprehensively studied the physical healing effects of art in the brain. And the results are overwhelming. Ruth Westreich writes, “In hospitals where art therapy programs have been introduced, there have been reported many benefits. Both on a physical level, improving heart rate, blood pressure and respiration, and on a psychological level, by increasing the abilities to communicate feelings regarding symptoms and by reducing the stress.” Harvard Health Publishing reports that “expressing themselves through art can help people with depression, anxiety, or cancer, too. And doing so has been linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience in healthy older people.”

Art and Mental Health: for Viewers

As much as I make contemporary art for my own health and personal growth, I create contemporary art for the well-being of others too. From seeing and hearing how collectors and gallery visitors react to my art, I know the positive effect it has. Art expert and Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk guide, Terry Ellsworth said being at BertaArt Studio Gallery gave people the sense that “you’re safe, you’re warm, you’re surrounded by healing vibrations.” It has a subconscious effect on viewers, said Terry, “when they leave, they feel better.”

Research also shows that not just artists, but viewers benefit from the healing effects of art. In an article about ‘How Art Changes Consciousness’, Jacob Devaney tells how viewing art affects the brain. “Contemplation, observing, and taking in the beauty all stimulate pleasure centers within the brain while increasing blood flow by up to 10% in the medial orbitofrontal cortex. This can lead to an elevated state of consciousness, wellbeing, and better emotional health.”

Menachem Wecker from Artnet shares impressive findings from several recent studies on the healing effects of art in hospitals. One found that hanging abstract paintings in medical waiting rooms improved patient satisfaction. Another revealed that art in hospitals correlated with positive health outcomes such as length of stay and pain tolerance. In a Montreal hospital, doctors even prescribe visits to a local art museum. I also found it fascinating that students at the Dell Medical School in Texas study art “to foster empathy.”

Contemporary Art – My Goal: Share the Healing Power of Art

I have always known that contemporary art can have a profound effect on a person’s well-being. This is why I am drawn to making art and surrounding myself with beauty. As an artist, sharing this with others is immensely gratifying. 

I became an art teacher because I decided to give back to my community. Through teaching, I could share the healing gift of art-making. I found that many students, especially women, we’re searching for healing. They really connected with this element of the creative process. 

In my practice, I take inspiration from the beauty and energy of the natural world to bring a sense of wonder, peace, and serenity into a room. In creating my colorful, flowing imagery, I hope to impart uplifting and restorative energy to space. Just like the abstract art in hospitals that improve patients’ health, my paintings can soothe, destress, and heal those who experience them. 

About Clara Berta

“Abstract painting is a mysterious journey. From the initial inspiration to the final work, I can never predict the steps in the process or the final image.”

Clara Berta is a passionate, award-winning abstract artist of Hungarian heritage. Her dynamic, highly textural abstract paintings have been exhibited in the US and collected worldwide. A sensibility of simplicity permeates her paintings with areas of bright color juxtaposed with large fields of negative space. This balance, between the focal point and the white space surrounding it, is a delicate equilibrium.

She believes in the “less is more” philosophy of renowned German architect, Mies van der Rohe. He created an influential twentieth-century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity.

Learn more about Clara Berta here.