Art is a universal trait of the human race, and art goes far back in human history to the times of the Stone Age. Cave paintings are a common example of pre-historic art. Many art historians have documented the trends and progress of art through the millennia, where many topics, from the mundane to spiritual, have been depicted. As of the last two centuries, many art forms, from Romanticism and Impressionism to photography and abstract art have proven popular. What is more, art does more than look attractive; it has long since been shown to have a positive mental effect on whoever looks at it. Taste in art is almost infinitely varied, as art itself is, but psychologists have confirmed that art in strategic places can do a lot of good. An art consultant is an expert who understands the role that art plays on the human mind, and art consulting firms are available for hire by businesses today. Hotel art, framed photos in the office, and more can act as a mental boost to anyone who sees it, even working professionals. A hotel art consultation may help a new or renovating hotel set up just the right pieces of art for patrons.

Art and the Mind

Some may be skeptical that hotel art consultation or art in the office can really make such a difference, but this has, in fact, been researched carefully. For one example, a 2011 study done by the University of London found that blood flow increased nearly 10% to the brain’s “joy response” center when a subject looked at a beautiful painting. This is similar to the effect of looking at a loved one, in fact, and fondness for others is a human biological imperative. Not only can art stimulate this part of the mind, but it can even lower stress, and many would agree that lower stress levels are to be desired. There is a lot in modern life to stress a person, and art can help with this. To illustrate this point, participants in a study entered a gallery to explore the space for 35 minutes however they wanted. Afterwards, the participants self-reported that they felt less stressed. To put it more medically, those people had lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

Other surveys and studies have shown how effective the use of art, such as after a hotel art consultation, can be. In the office, where workers are under pressure to be productive and find creative solutions to problems, soothing visual cues made a major impact. This included art, as well as the use of potted plants and even an employee-designed layout of the office. Exeter University’s School of Psychology found that when employees are allowed to control the layout and design of their office, they are not only happier and healthier, but up to 32% more productive. Similarly, a survey was conducted on the topic of art in the workplace. The survey found that 94% of respondents agree that art made their workplace more welcoming, and 61% also said that it stimulates creativity. Art is, after all, the result of human creativity on the part of the artist, and this may transfer, in a sense, to an office worker who views it. One might say that it inspires the creative part of the mind. Finally, a third study found that those who work in spaces enriched with art of potted plants are 17% more productive than those who work in leaner spaces.

A Hotel Art Consultation

Artwork in the public sphere extends to hotels as well, which are designed to have a comforting and home-like feel for their guests. A hotel uses a number of means for this, such as the attractive and plush furniture in the lobby and a restaurant and hotel bar. This will include artwork too, and higher-end hotels will have attractive pieces in them as a matter of course. A new hotel’s manager, or a manager who is remodeling the hotel, may have a hotel art consultation to figure out the best pieces for the hotel’s public spaces. The hotel’s aesthetic, and the expected clientele, may help dictate what sort of art is used in the lobby and elsewhere.