Let's Explore: How Art Evokes Empathy

We at Hollywood Dynamics love to appreciate art in every aspect.

In this article, we will explain the ways that art evokes empathy and why we should appreciate both art's ability to connect with people and how art evokes empathy in the artists who create it.

1. Audiences connect with art that explores the world around them

According to a study conducted by John Van Reenen of University College London and Dominic Wilkinson of Manchester Metropolitan University, people are most moved by content from which they can relate, rather than content with which they can understand.

What this research demonstrated was that people empathize with things they know about and recognize within their own lives. Art with a touch of familiarity can draw a greater emotional response from an audience.

According to a study conducted by Princeton University's Project for Artistic Quality, this is precisely the case: we also see meaning and value in art that arouse a sense of familiarity.

The beginning of a new year is a very exciting time for art lovers. Not only are works from award-winning artists on display, but galleries are filled with original pieces as well. Browse the themes of special exhibits, like the current one at UCLA's Art Museum.

2. Art has the ability to express passion, even when that passion is missing

Art has the capacity to express passionate feelings that people might not feel in real life. A particularly moving piece by artist Bryan Chilson, titled "Passionate Voices," depicts individual faces reading stories. As an audience, we feel what the words on the pages of these stories feel like - the person reading is invested in them and we share their passion for the characters they are reading about.

The empathy we feel while viewing Chilson's work is directly linked to the emotion expressed by the people who tell the stories.

This piece evokes emotions because we identify with what the characters feel and the passion they are expressing. In this piece, Chilson mirrors the passion that we feel when we read a story.

The emotion evoked by Chilson's painting is also linked to our emotions when we read a story, which is an inherently similar emotion. If we were unable to identify with the characters in a story and did not feel any connection to them, we would not feel the same way we do while viewing Chilson's painting.

3. Art can change the viewer's perception of the world

Art has the power to change the viewer's perception of the world. This power can be observed in a painting by artist Poul Henningsen, called "The Last Days of Vietnam."

The world in the painting is desolate. It has fallen into decay and is filled with people and sounds that evoke distress, fear and tension. This painting creates the illusion that the world in the painting is in decay, as well as expressing the uncomfortable experience of being in a place filled with fear and tension.

Similarly, Rebecca Pufpaff's "Boy in a Manhole," evokes a sense of desperation through the ways that the boy is presented in the painting.

From the eyes, he looks terrified, and there is a distinct sound of a young man frantically trying to push his way through the tunnel and out of the station. This painting powerfully conveys a sense of being in a seemingly hopeless situation.

4. Art is the place where the world's joy and sorrows intersect

By experiencing a piece of art, we can not only enjoy the moment of entertainment, but also experience the artist's sense of joy and sorrow.

Through art, we are able to experience joy and sorrow in a more personal, yet highly intense way. This emotion is particularly felt when we relate to someone else's experience of joy or sorrow.

The emotions evoked by a piece of art are a universal experience and deeply relateable - we can relate to both the positive and negative emotions of another person.

It was the cultural, political and economic turmoil in Yugoslavia in the 1990s that made Serb painter Branislav Nušić's series of paintings known as "The Ship."

The series combines vivid and haunting colors to depict scenes that remind the viewer of the losses of the historical event.

"It's a good sign when people are more able to feel those emotions when they see a story or a painting, so there can be different feelings in this exhibit," director Sharon Amster said.

5. Art has the ability to evoke our emotions without words

Part of the reason why art has such a profound influence on the viewer is because it conveys a complete sense of emotion without using words.

In "Circles of Life," artist Sigalit Landau evokes a sense of grief and desire through the subtle, yet explosive black ink line that appears and disappears in the canvas, and the red, orange and yellow circles on the opposite side of the canvas.

Through the emotional pictures of the artist, Landau expresses her own sense of desire and grief. The workforces the viewer to acknowledge that, even in the absence of words, the emotions that are felt can be communicated.

6. Art is therapeutic

Some do art for the sake of doing art and others do it because they love it. I have also observed that many of these people take their art very seriously, putting their heart and soul into their art.

To me, the result of doing this reflects the result of practicing the art itself: dedication and hard work.

To me, art evokes an emotional response and, more importantly, makes one's heart beat faster and makes one ponder.

Art creates an atmosphere, evoking an atmosphere and inviting the mind to wander into the mind's fantasy.

Art also makes one feel like he or she is in that moment at that moment of time and experience. Art makes one think and ponder.

Finally, art offers a solace, a safe haven and peace of mind. I cannot stress enough how important art is in this world.

Although it was hard to see, in that moment, I knew that I had a friend, an emotional connection. It was not so much that I felt empathy for these people, but I felt that I had a connection to them. I felt their pain and sadness and even their joy.

In that moment, I understood that art is not only important because people are influenced by art, but it is important because we, human beings, are very complex beings and we all have a very human quality, the emotions we have and the understanding of these emotions. We have a similar mechanism, and we share emotions.