Module 7 Final Project

Arts in Life

Name

Affiliation

Date

Arts in Life

Factual Information:

Name of artwork: The Presidential Family.

Name of artist: Fernando Botero

Date of artwork: 1967

Place where you saw the artwork: The Museum of Modern Art

Introduction

Art has always held quite an important position in the progress and development of any society. It provides the chance of entertainment, inspiration and getting rid of exhaustion to the individuals of the society, who otherwise stay busy in making their ends meet. The political and social issues of the social cause great tension to the individuals and they need some kind of relaxation, which they are able to get by visualizing the pieces of art. There are different types of art forms which include painting, sculpture, architecture, puppetry, music, films, theater, and many others. All of these forms of art take the attention of the individuals while letting them forget about the issues of life and enjoy the art. In recent times, it has been proved through research that art form can also be utilized to provide inspiration and hope to the patients suffering from a wide range of health conditions. The problem that has been identified in this project is that the cancer patients have to go through quite a painful treatment procedure, which not only fades their spark by causing physical suffering but also emotional suffering. The art, in the form of paintings, as well as music can be utilized to provide hope, strength, and inspiration to the cancer patients, so that they fight their disease with great motivation. The overall goal or the big idea of this project is to acknowledge the suffering of the cancer patients and provide them hope and strength through art, which would help them relax and enjoy few moments of life while forgetting about their pain. The suffering and pain of the cancer patient may have been an important source of snatching their will and hope of living, utilization of art in the form of paintings and music can help to provide them the hope of living and fighting with their disease with greater determination.

Project Description

Cancer is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases of the present times. It affects the working of the whole body while decreasing the strength and hope of the patients gradually. There are some lucky people, who get to know about the disease at the early stage and get the chance of receiving the treatment, which is quite painful for them. On the other hand, some patients do not find any difficulty in their life and health, till the disease nears its final stage and it becomes quite difficult for the physicians to save them. They give their try and start the treatment procedure; however, it is much more painful and drastic for the patients. The treatment procedures of radiation and chemotherapy provide them physical suffering as well as drains them mentally and emotionally. The treatment procedure not only causes these sufferings but also robes their will of living and hope of surviving, because they think that they would not be able to bear the suffering anymore. They need the constant support and care of their family and loved ones, which brings a little smile on their faces. These patients are the true heroes because they try to smile in order to ensure their families that they are doing fine when actually they pass through hell while getting the treatment. Although science has made great inventions and discoveries in each and every field of life, it is still unable to find a cure for cancer. However, science has also found the solution of providing inspiration and hope to the patients of cancer by providing them the art therapy. The art in the form of paintings and music can be used to make the patients feel relaxed, motivated and hopeful (Wiswell, Bell, McHale, Elliott, Rath & Clements, 2018).

The artwork, which I observed at the modern museum of art, consists of a family picture and is entitled as the presidential family. During the treatment procedure, the patients experience a number of moments when they are on the highest point of their suffering. They want to end each and everything to get rid of their suffering. Viewing the painting and a happy family in it would make them recall the happy moments they have spent with their families, as well as the future plans which they made with them. They would be able to get the hope that they will surely be able to make the future plans true. Music plays an effective role in this regard but giving rise to the hormones which cause happiness, and it would also provide them with the strength of fighting their condition. The music and paintings can also make them think about their dreams and aspirations in life, and motivate them not to accept their defeat but fight hard to prove their strength. The least that art therapy can do is providing a few moments of happiness and carelessness out of their time of suffering, as well as add some more good memories.

The plan for this specific project is to arrange the exhibitions for the patients of cancer, in which the paintings would be mostly about social life, family time, dreams and other positive aspects of living, in order to cheer and motivate the cancer patients. In addition to it, the patients having an interest in painting or drawing would be provided the opportunity to paint and get their artwork exhibited. In addition to it, they would also be provided the facility of listening to their favorite playlists in their hospital rooms, which would cheer them up and become a constant source of providing them strength and hope.

Research

In the modern society, the art and music therapies are being used in order to provide strength and motivation to the patients, which also help them to relax instead of worrying about the future prospects of their disease or treatment procedure. There are other examples like this project which includes letting the dementia patients visit the painting exhibitions which helps them to recall the incidents of their life, which they have forgotten. The context of the artworks which would be used for the project is about the cheerful aspects of family and social life, as well as dreams and passion. Rosenberg, (2009) and Wiswell et al. (2018) have discussed the importance as well as the effectiveness of art therapy for dementia and cancer patients in their research work.

Participation

Most of the health care providers suggest their patients join the support groups, in order to interact with other patients and know their stories and struggles. The patients will participate in the project in the way that they will be briefed about the exhibition through their physician and would be allowed to visit the gallery, whenever they want to explore the artworks. The patients would specifically be guided to visit the gallery once they get stable after receiving radiation therapy or chemotherapy because they feel most hopeless at those times. The artworks would help them to develop their hope and strength, in order to fight with their disease.

Diversity

Talking about the importance and universality of art, Freeland described in his book (2002),

"Insisting that ‘art is a universal language,' Dewey urged us to strive to achieve the internal experience of another culture. He thought this required an immediate encounter and not studying ‘external facts' about geography, religion, and history: ‘barriers are dissolved, limiting prejudices melt away when we enter into the spirit of Negro or Polynesian art. This insensible melting is far more efficacious than the change effected by reasoning because it enters directly into attitude.' (p. 63)."

The project intends to involve the people from different cultures by including the artwork of the diverse artists, belonging to different parts and cultures of the world. The artworks would not be limited to one artist or country so that it helps the patients to become familiar with a wide range of artworks and get motivated by the representation of different societies of the world. The participants would get benefit from the project and would understand the goals, once they would be able to gain positive energy, hope, and motivation from the artworks. In addition to it, if their work would also be included in it, it would help them to feel a new level of achievement, which will also add to their motivation.

Conclusion

In the modern world, art holds great importance and is now being used as a form of therapy. The physicians use art therapy in order to help their patients to relax, develop hope and motivation, as well as recall the moments of their past. This project intends to utilize the art therapy in the form of paintings to help the cancer patients develop hope and motivation of fighting with their diseases. It would help them o develop a positive attitude towards life and not get disheartened by their suffering.

References

Freeland, C. A. (2002). But is it art?: An introduction to art theory. Oxford University Press, USA.

Rosenberg, F. (2009). The MoMA Alzheimer’s project: making art accessible to people with dementia. In gerontologist (vol. 49, pp. 145-145). 1030 15th ST NW, STE 250, Washington, DC 20005202-842 USA: gerontological soc amer.

Wiswell, S., Bell, J. G., McHale, J., Elliott, J. O., Rath, K., & Clements, A. (2018). The effect of art therapy on the quality of life in patients with a gynecologic cancer receiving chemotherapy. Gynecologic oncology.