Artwork is the visual representation of thoughts, emotions and ideas through various mediums including painting, sculpture, photography and digital media. It serves as a unique way to communicate beyond words and has the power to evoke positive or negative feelings in the viewer. The purpose of artworks is not to serve any functional needs, but rather to satisfy a need to create and express.
In addition to serving a creative outlet, artwork can be used for psychological and healing purposes such as therapy or education. It can also help us understand our relationships with the world around us and ourselves, as well as our place in it. This is often seen in religious or spiritual art. It can also be used as a tool for activism and social change, such as protesting against human rights abuses or environmental pollution, or to raise awareness about a certain issue.
Studies have shown that creating art can be a powerful form of therapy and rehabilitation, especially when it is done as part of a group. The experience of creating art is said to release stress, lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol levels – even if the artist does not think their work is ‘good’. The process of focusing on the details of the composition forces the brain to focus and block out distractions, similar to meditation.
Programmes that incorporate the arts in health communication have been developed across higher and lower income countries with a common theme of using the arts to promote social inclusion, skills development and community-centred approaches to health promotion. They have been shown to increase knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. Many of these programmes are community based and use the performing arts (e.g. plays, songs and dance), interactive activities (e.g. role play and discussion) and visual arts (e.g. murals and posters).
Art can be a powerful tool for social change, as it has the potential to influence public perceptions and create a sense of identity among communities. For example, research has found that art can be used to debunk myths and misconceptions about mental illness in the media, and thereby decrease stigma towards people with mental health issues. Similarly, research has demonstrated that a storyline in a popular television sitcom can help to reduce the secrecy and shame surrounding postpartum psychosis. In addition, art can be used to raise awareness for a wide range of social causes, such as autism, cancer, ocean conservation and the practice of trashion – the act of using trash to make fashion. This type of art is often more effective when it is created in partnership with a community and when the audience has the opportunity to respond directly to the message being conveyed (232). This is often seen in the form of interactive art exhibitions or community-based health communication programmes.