In the fast-paced world that we all live in, it can often take a lot to make us slow down and appreciate the smaller details of life.
As we all focus on our phones, online content, and work, sometimes you need a brilliant piece of art to sit back and get absorbed in.
Owning and viewing art is an important way to boost your feelings of wellness and bring new life to your space.
If you want to improve your wellbeing and slow down this year, here are all the benefits of slow viewing art, and how you can start to look at art in a new light.
New perspectives
Most of us do the same things, day in and day out, which can make it difficult to see things from different perspectives.
Art is one of the easiest ways to jump into other people’s shoes, or to just make you think about things in a different way than you usually would.
Art makes us question ourselves, our sense of reality, and our perception of the world. It makes us think on a larger scale, a real boost for your wellbeing if you find yourself constantly worrying about the smaller things in life.
In fact, studies have shown that people who participate in art-related activities report good health, and 91% say they are highly satisfied with their life.
A Matter of Perspective by Isabelle Amante
Reduce stress levels
Whether you’re worrying about deadlines at work, or a busy social schedule that you’re struggling to manage, sitting down, and viewing art can transport you to a place free of distractions.
Beautiful art has been proved to reduce stress levels and provides a time where you can be with yourself, slow down, and improve your overall wellbeing.
Why not incorporate an ethereal landscape piece into your room, or a scene from your favourite city to whisk you back into your memories?
The State of Becoming by Marti Leroux
How to slow down when you view art
If you’re just getting into art, it can be hard to understand what you’re looking at – but don’t worry, we’re here to help you with some of our best tips for slow viewing.
The most important part of slow viewing art is to rid yourself of distractions, put your phone away, and allow yourself to be immersed in the work you’re looking at.
Take a good, long look at the artwork. What do you see when you look at it? What does it make you feel? What paint do you think the artist used? What mood do you think the artist was in when they created the piece?
You could jot down your thoughts and feelings into a notebook if that’s easier, or just allow you mind to drift off and be absorbed.
It’s not always obvious what a piece of art is setting out to do, and it can sometimes take a little longer to absorb and appreciate. This is very much the case when it comes to things like abstract art, where it may not always be clear what the subject is straight away.
Abstract Seascape by Irini Karpikioti
Have a look at some of our abstract pieces below that may take you longer to understand, but are a perfect example of how you can slow down and improve your wellbeing through art:
- Fairy in the Garden of Joy by Oana Arabagiu
- Musical abstracts-IX by Stanislav Bojankov
- Wild Day at Sea by Candida Slater
If you’re confused by the art, try looking at it from new perspectives. You could even think about the following questions to get you started:
- What is the subject matter?
- How is the location of this piece significant?
- Why did the artist choose these specific colours?
- What would be the impact if different colours were used instead?
- Does this artwork remind you of a specific memory or event?
- What’s the hidden message behind this piece of art?
Art2Arts view before you buy service
We know that choosing artwork for your home is very personal, so we offer a ‘try before you buy’ service where we can show you what a certain piece will look like in your space – just upload a picture and we’ll do the rest.
