This week at Contemporary Six, we have been pondering art's health benefits. It is not unusual for clients or passersby to comment on the immediate calming effect of being in a gallery space. Art is widely celebrated for its ability to shift perception and find enchantment in the everyday - but thanks to a recent study conducted by King's College London, the intuitive consensus that art is good for the mind and body now has concrete evidence behind it.
The results of the study, titled The Physiological Impact of Viewing Original Artworks vs. Reprints: A Comparative Study, were striking. Researchers monitored a group of 50 volunteers as they viewed original artworks at The Courtauld Gallery, as well as reproductions of the same works in a non-gallery setting. Both environments produced a drop in cortisol levels, but the gallery setting - viewing original work - scored considerably higher, causing a 22% decrease compared to just 8% for the reproductions.
As a gallery that specialises in original artwork, we've always felt that original pieces - whether oil, watercolour, or sculpture - retain an essence that reproductions can't capture. It's a pleasant validation to see that instinct now backed by scientific evidence of its measurable impact on the brain and body.
As Dr Tony Woods, the study’s first author from King’s IoPPN, stated:
"Stress hormones and inflammatory markers like cortisol, IL-6 and TNF-alpha are linked to a wide range of health problems, from heart disease and diabetes to anxiety and depression. The fact that viewing original art lowered these markers suggests that cultural experiences may play a real role in protecting both mind and body."
Elsewhere, art has been linked to longevity. Analysis of more than 6,700 older adults (aged 50+) in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing found that frequent cultural attendance was linked to a 31% lower mortality risk over 14 years, even after adjusting for socioeconomic and health factors such as wealth, education, and mobility issues.
Whether original artwork's edge over reproductions comes down to texture, brushwork, the trace of the artist's hand and energy in the piece, is yet to be discovered. But for now, if you're thinking of doing something good for your health this week, why not visit us at Contemporary Six.
