The attraction of pain

I wrote a blog article recently about the distance between art and life, and how art can comfort or entertain. In this blog I wanted to explore one side of this dichotomy a bit more- namely the attraction of pain and why Art resonates with difficult emotions so much.

The first reason of course, is the universality of pain. We might come from different cultures, different backgrounds and history, we might have different personalities and ways of interacting with the world, but everyone has experienced pain (mental or physical) and fear. The human condition, by essence, includes suffering and an awareness of mortality.

So that makes art that centres on these emotions (whether directly or not) very relatable. People connect with art pieces that represent or transcend their pain (show it or soothe it). 

Joyful work can bring good mood and pleasure, but pain stops you in your tracks.

That works however pain is depicted: It is possible to show pain and fear in a colourful or vibrant way, to hide it in an apparently cheerful scene and therefore not all works that communicate painful emotions are are dark and moody. 

The second reason is that art can be a way to process this pain where other means have failed, or where there are simply no other way to process it. From the most intimate suffering to the most widespread violence, there are times when language cannot process emotions, where words fail or we are too stunned to find them, and art can be a powerful outlet to say the unsay-able, to deal with extreme trauma and hardship.

Strong emotions and horror can lead to some of the most powerful works- From Delacroix’s “Radeau de la Meduse” to Picasso’s “Guernica” or the whole body of work of Francis Bacon, art which touches on suffering can create the deepest connections with the audience.

At my own humble level, I have experienced both. I have turned to art in my life when faced with challenging times, as a way to deal with my experiences, make sense of them and move forward. And I am also privileged to have seen others connect with some of my pieces in a very powerful way, falling silent in front of a specific piece for reasons personal to them and not able to let it go.

And as an artist, that is a very rewarding moment: to see works in which I have poured my emotions resonate with even just one other person, and provide them with solace and understanding- this is the reason I keep on creating.

Pain can stop you in your tracks