LOWERING STRESS ACCORDING TO THE METHOD OF “ART APPRECIATION”
Is it possible for one to get connected to a picture? Or could it impact his or her condition at the moment…or even change it? Yes, this is what says Mariana Petrova, founder of creative studio Artied that in partnership with “Astra Forum” Foundation held a workshop for psychic health of medical specialists via contemplating art.
On the last Saturday of October, “Astra Forum” Foundation, jointly with studio Artied, arranged art therapy for medical specialists who have taste for art. The initiative is part of activities for improving doctors and other specialists’ psychic status in Bulgaria.
For 4 Hours The Participants Managed To Submerge In The Method Of Art Appreciation
Via it one learns how to look at pictures and connect to them; see the different elements and perceive them through his or her own past and experiences. This is because on the grounds of what one has experienced in his or her life or is going through at the time, he or she sees one picture differently. It is even important during different stages or moments of one’s life path to appreciate one and the same picture differently. Once passing through this method, it could always be implemented when one attends an exhibition or stands in front of a picture. The method is not art history because everyone tried decode by him- or herself what exactly the picture says and what it means to himself here and now.
Mariana Petrova introduces the participants in detail to the phases through which one passes with the method of art appreciation as well as the elements being observed in one piece of art, namely”: composition; colours; shapes; lines; contours; figures that makes us remember something that happened to us; balance; symbols.
During the event we considered 5 pictures among which the “The swing” by Fragonard; “Sunflowers” by Vincent van Gogh; “Seated Woman, Back Turned to the Open Window” by Henri Matisse; “A Rifeled Gatling Gun” by Edward Hopper; picture by Miró, “Circles in a Circle” by Kadinsky. Discussion of pictures passes through the following stages: silent contemplation of pictures within minutes; description of what one could see when getting detached from his emotions at the present and says what he really observes; interpretation of emotions – what are the feelings brought by what we see at the picture; which elements in particular impact us and why; formulation of picture’s main message according to everyone; connecting picture to an event of our life. All the pictures were especially selected and refracted through the prism of topic on stress at workplace and in daily life.
Every participant had the chance to tell about his personal view, share his emotions brought by contemplating the picture as well as various situations from his life he associates it with. Additionally, Mariana Petrova told about the story of every picture; its author and curious facts related to it.
At the last event stage, its practical part took place, namely – creation of collage of various materials including from the reviewed pictures. Thanks to this method everyone had the chance to express his own emotions at the time, as well as future perspectives and plans.
We said “Goodbye” to the participants after promising new meetings in the future. Everyone expressed his gratitude and went home with something new he learnt… experienced and shared.
