The Big Day - Free Essay on Art Therapy

Visiting a museum of art

Visiting a museum of art for the first time offers an interesting moment in which one reconnects with artistic impressions by both the past and current artists. The images, paintings and animations well tucked onto the galleries of the museums are like a mirror through which one looks into the depths of the artist’s conception of the world and interaction with it. The feeling of enlightenment and exposition achieved during such a visit does not only reconnect humans with the world but also provides an opportunity to appreciate the enormity of the human sense of imagination and excellent execution of such mental pictures. According to Malchiodi (2016), these artworks can be used in therapeutics in hospitals, psychiatric centers, wellness facilities and forensic institutions

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My first visit to the Getty Museum under the influence of my mother who was one of the conservators at the museum made me appreciate the revolutionary works of art that were replete with accurate use brush, colors and strokes to execute some of the most groundbreaking artistic impressions. I remain mesmerized and passionately attached to a painting by Lawrence Alma called Tandema’s spring. At one point I imagined myself as being one of the little girls depicted in the painting carrying a basket of flowers through streets made of marble. The flowers not only illustrated the providence of nature but also symbolized the essence of a blossoming life. At my age when I first visited the museum, the works of art there seemed a fantasy world. It was marvelous and enchanting to experience the sheer imaginations of artists blend with contemporary conceptions.

Getty’s galleries

As my mother led me through the Getty’s galleries, I imagined being lost in the landscape of Tandema’s spring and wondered how I would look if I was among the people in the portraits. Actually the works of art in the galleries embodies the true reflection of portrait painting which occurs in different from including paintings, images, sculptures or other artistic representation people who exist in real life. In such illustrations of art, the artists often concentrate on the expression of the face as a dominant effect. The primary focus of the artist is always to ensure a unique sense of the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the represented person at the time of the painting.

In the practice of the portraits I saw at the museum, I embarked on making a unique portrait of an estranged Martin Luther King Jr. which reflected on him giving his sensational speech of “I have a dream.” The portrait portrayed King as an enthusiastic visionary whose role in the transformation of his then society was irresistible. My intention was to provide a recapture of the American struggles from the whims of discrimination to a fledgling democracy.

My experience of Alternative Medicine.

I realized the essence of alternative medicine in alleviation of pain for patient suffering from different health complications such as terminal illnesses. My grandmother suffered from severe cancer that led to her being placed under palliative care. During this time she was subjected to an environment full of portraits of children splashing water and Mary mother of Jesus carrying bouquet of beautiful flowers that raised her morale towards life.

My sister’s research focused on enhancing the healing environment. She illustrated that an enhanced healing environment can be achieved using artistic impressions that improve value attachment to life. This environment diverts the attention of the patients’ attention from the life threatening illness leading to a peaceful death. This treatment is called alternative medicine which is a form of complementary medication used to complement functional medical treatment resulting in efficiency.

Art in its different dimensions such as painting, drawings and animations can be used to strengthen the patients’ attachment to life. For instance, the children in Tandema’s spring carrying a banquet of flowers portray a blossoming of life that encourages the patient to live Malchiodi. In addition, my portrait of King expresses a long term struggle with an eventual liberation of black Americans. Portraits of this nature contribute effectively to healing success or peaceful death in a process of Art Therapy. According to Frank (2015), art therapists facilitate healing using art media such as the paintings, drawings, portraits and creative processes. These therapeutic works of art result in the exploration of the patients’ feelings, reconciling their emotional conflicts, fostering in them self-awareness and management of behaviors and addictions. Frank (2015) asserts that through these works of art, the caregivers help patients to develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. The fundamental aim of art therapy is to ensure the restoration of the patients’ psychological functioning and personal well-being. Art therapy is a practical approach in the treatment of individuals with social or psychological impairments.

Works Cited

Malchiodi, Cathy. “Why Art Therapy?” Works A recent study underscores the potential role of art therapy in recovery, Psychology today, August 30, 2016, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/arts-and-health/201608/why-art-therapy-works

Frank, Priscilla. “How Art Therapy Can Help Children Facing Mental And Emotional Challenges?” The Huffington Post, May 7, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/07/art-therapy-children_n_7113324.html?utm_source=Alert-blogger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%2BNotifications