Art Makes It Easier To Engage with Negative Subject Matter
Studies have discovered that people are more willing to engage with negative subject matter if it's presented through art vs. a photograph.
"These findings suggest that art acts as a kind of buffer when we engage with difficult or negative subjects. The aesthetic qualities of art and the sense that we are in a slightly removed, 'as-if' world when experiencing art, may reduce the emotional impact of negative content, making it more approachable. This reduced emotional cost, combined with the appeal of aesthetic appreciation and thought-provoking perspectives, makes people more willing to explore negative themes through art than through non-art media."
Psychology study reveals a fascinating fact about artwork
A new study reveals that people willingly engage with unsettling images for longer when they are framed as paintings rather than photographs, hinting at the strange allure of artistic depictions of suffering.
Eric W. Dolan