Why Art Is A (Subconscious) Expression Of The Mind

Art can be a powerful force that resonates deep down within some peoples sub-conscious emotions.

Captivating art can ‘straight up’ make people break down and even drown in their feelings.

But, the question arises, where does art emanate from?

How does a thing so subjective with no particular “use” cater to billions of people (and make billions of dollars in sales world wide)?

Some researchers believe that there might be a more profound, non-trivial, reason why art catches peoples eyes, emotions, (and their wallets).

“True art” is created from a place of passion, and acts as an agent of emotional relief, for both the artist who created the painting and those onlookers who resonate with it once complete.

A visionary piece of art, can communicate an emotion through time, and resonate on a deep emotional level with someone hundreds of years later.

This explains why artists and consumers of art both resonate with certain works of art at a high intensity.

Not everyone feels depressed all the time,  or “emotionally trapped” or in a “jolly good mood”, but at any given time, you might resonate with a certain work of art differently, depending on your current emotion (or vibe).

With some paintings the artist may intentionally want to paint in an angry mood to give the work an “angry vibe”, but other emotions are more subtle and may be expressed in art with-out the artist even realizing it.

Surrealism is a one famous art form that captivates audiences with multi-million dollar paintings that resonate with both conscious, and subconscious minds.

Conscious Art vs. Sub-Conscious Art

Some art is created with the intent to show off certain emotions. Maybe the artist is in a good mood and wants his or her painting to give off positive vibes to anyone who looks at it for future generations to come.

Other art unintentionally gives off vibes which may represent the artists deep sub-conscious feelings. For example, many kids who experience trauma have difficulties talking about the experience, but have no problem displayign the experience in a drawing.

This is why often times a parent will get called into school to talk about a disturbing painting or sketch. Usually this represents a sub-conscious cry for emotion support.

Then, there’s surrealism which is somewhere in-between conscious and sub-conscious. Also a conscious effort to make a sub-conscious work of art.

What is Surrealism?

I first heard the term “surrealism” in ‘high-school art class’ but I never paid attention long enough to know what it is…

Surrealism was a “revolutionary movement” of its time.

Born out of Europe, somewhere around 1917, surrealism found its followers in the aftermath of the  World War 1.

Surrealism merged all parts of the human consciousness to explore high level imagination.

Inspired by the controversial works of famed psychologist Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx (the philosopher), surrealists believed in the power of the subconscious mind.

Credited with having founded Psychoanalysis, Freud is the celebratory figure who made humanity mindful that, often, our subconscious mind plays a large bearing on our conscious acts.

Psychology plays a vital role in governing our understanding of human behavior and intent. Since the premise of art is to influence and mirror human emotions, the world of psychology and art are often intertwined.

Psychology and Art: Conscious vs. Subconscious

I have always been fascinated by psychology, psycho-analyzing, and subconscious effects that were’ not even aware of.

The basic idea behind psycho-analytics is that all human beings possess a consciousness of three levels–

1. The Conscious
2. The Unconscious
3. The Subconscious

These mental processes sway every aspect of human existence – feelings, desires, opinions, coping mechanisms, perceptions, and more.

Freud defined the subconscious as the storage location for dreams and recent events. It contains forgotten memories and implicit information that plays a subtle and often overlooked role in our daily lives and decisions.

When an individual taps into the forgotten memories of the subconscious, they open a vault of information, feelings, and facts that they may have otherwise been unaware of since they’re not an explicit part of our conscious.

Surrealism is meant as a way to use art to tap into people deep vault of subconscious emotions.

In many of Freud’s counseling sessions he asked his clients to draw and paint their thoughts, revealing a significant part of their subconsciously hidden information.

This was a direct implication between the subconscious, its influence on the mind, and it’s drawn art.

Carl Jung , who was another founder of modern day psychology also made many important discoveries in the linkage between art and the subconscious.

A dialogue between all consciousness levels was necessary to tap into the inner workings of the client.

He believed that far more discussion and importance should be applied to the content, shape, and colors of the subconscious art content to find out more accurate information about the client’s thoughts and feelings.

The actual relationship between art and the subconscious expression wasn’t limited to the psychoanalytic ideas of Freud and Jung.

Many psychologists through the ages, namely Edith Kramer, Judith Robin, Margaret Naumburg, and more, have came to the same conclusions with similar theories expanding upon the same idea.

The critical correlation between art and the subconscious led to the creation of Art Therapy.

A prevalent therapeutic model, its premise lies in the belief that art helps express the workings, thoughts, and desires lurking in the subconscious.

Whether it may be the form of pottery, painting, drawing, or clay, art can aid one’s self-analysis and expression.

Additionally, art, especially art therapy, acts as an emotional release by purging the body of unpleasant thoughts and carnal desires.

It can soothe the soul, and amplify imaginative concepts.

The Important Relationship Between Art and the Subconscious Mind

Various studies have led us to believe that art is impactful because it articulates our subconscious when it comes to the artist. It is the expression of our deepest desires.

The artist, therefore, experiences emotional relief  because they are openly able to express their emotions in a form that validates their feelings (which were erstwhile inaccessible to the outside world).

On the other hand, the art consumer can undergo the same emotional relief by finding commonalities between themselves and the art.

By vicariously living through the art , you can feels like a part of something bigger. 

One of the magical aspects of art lies in its ability to facilitate novel emotions. How many times have you listened to a brand new piece of music or watched a new film genre and thought to yourself, ”Wow, I have NEVER felt emotions like this!”

Art can help you experience things you’ve never felt before.

It can evoke emotions and responses from somewhere deep within, changing how you interact with the world and make sense of your feelings.

Sometimes such emotionally charged responses stem from repressed memories hidden in your subconscious.

This aspect of art can be incredibly emotionally healing for those who struggle with self-expression. Indulging and viewing art can help you break your self-bound shackles and high walls, crack you open like a walnut shell and expose your mind to a multicolored world.

This incredible impact is best facilitated by art, by amplifying the level of self-awareness in its consumers.

Art works as an outlet for all the rusty feelings existing as repressed emotions that our conscious mind chose to evade, ignore, and store away into the deepest nooks and corners of our brain.

By continuously interacting with and consuming art, you are opening yourself to a multitude of ideas and inspiration.

High levels of inspiration are one of the biggest catalysts for preventing creative blocks and stumps.

Conclusion

Several psychological theories and historical movements have arisen globally to establish the linkage between artistic expression of the subconscious mind.

Psychological theories back the requirement of incorporating art into therapy and counseling since it is the primary gateway to accessing the contents of the subconscious.

The subconscious expression is necessary for its profound influence on our thoughts, perceptions, desires, and more. Exposing ourselves to this level of mental processing can help unveil many unique and previously inaccessible ideas.

The art movement believes that our conscious blocks creatively driven thoughts and acts as a deterrent in producing imaginative, controversial, and novel artwork.

Breaking the hold our conscious has on us and interacting with the subconscious is the way to become truly unstoppable.

Art’s ability to reach into the subconscious depths can assist and provoke expansive emotional expression, aid self-analysis and amplify our imagination.

Conducive for both the artist and the consumer, art’s relationship with the subconscious is a magical concept designed to benefit all who interact with it.

Here’s another article we just wrote about the sub-conscious reason why most people only read headlines.

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