The function that most distinctively differentiates humans from other living beings is higher-order reasoning and abstract thought, which manifests in several unique ways, including creativity and innovation. Humans are uniquely creative, capable of producing art, music, literature, and technologies that transform environments rather than merely adapt to them.
Within that context, art is one of the most powerful forms of personal expression we can have in our homes. Some people invest in it because of its value, but almost always people are drawn to it not because of its materiality, but because it evokes an emotion. Perhaps a piece is inspirational, or maybe it’s aspirational, but art is something that allows us to explore our thoughts, emotions, and personality – the bits we like, and the bits we don’t, without boundaries, and where else can you be truly yourself other than in your home?
Space to be yourself
Maybe summing it up most effectively, American Trappist monk and theologian, Thomas Merton, is quoted as saying: “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
At Nicholas Anthony, we view art as an essential pillar of a truly rich and meaningful home, one that continues to inspire and teach us, even after many years immersed in the world of design. Our commitment to honouring the masters of form and integrating their influence into modern interiors is at the heart of what we do. A conversation with our Design Director about incorporating art into home design will leave you with fresh insights and a newfound appreciation for the spaces around you.
Today we live in a world where the digital realm will have you believe that a screen can deliver the same impact – no need to buy the Monet, just stick it on a screensaver. Stand in front of a painting that someone poured their soul into however, and you will quickly see and feel the difference. Art is one of the few remaining experiences that has to be seen to be believed.
What is art?
We tend to think of art purely in the context of paintings, and indeed they have a significant role to play, especially when you have an exceptional space in which to exhibit them.
However, art is all around us, in the things we use and the spaces we occupy. Perhaps you love historic cars, or beautiful furniture, a modern picture, or a statue in one of the London parks? Art shapes the world that we live in, but it is the tangible nature of it, the time, thought, energy and intention that gives it such depth and power.
Illustrating that with remarkable, and controversial, aplomb, in 1917 French painter and sculptor Marcel Duchamp submitted his Fountain – a readymade porcelain urinal – for the inaugural exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in New York. Unsurprisingly, it was rejected, but it raised a debate that would change the art world forever, prompting the question – what is art? Is it context? Perspective? Or creative skill that determines what art is? And, if creative skill is the differentiator, it’s a many and varied thing, so who is the arbiter of what is and isn’t art?
Today we are much more open to the concept of what art is, opening up a world of possibility. Perhaps that evolution is best noted in the all-encompassing definition detailed by Britannica, which says: “art, a visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination. The term art encompasses diverse media such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, decorative arts, photography, and installation.”
For us, art is very much rooted in self expression and the evoking of emotion. Whether you are the creator or the observer, art is deeply personal – what one person experiences from looking at an image may not be the same as someone else. The items we choose to surround ourselves with portray something about our memories and our experiences; the influences that have shaped both how we see the world and how we want to see it.
Art that tells a story
One of the incredible things about art is that we are always learning from it, being influenced by it, engaging with it, and even being moved to create it, even when we don’t realise it.
From early childhood we engage with our toys, with colours; we’re tempted to touch things that have interesting textures, to ask questions, or even stare at things that intrigue us. Sometimes we’re curious, sometimes it makes us happy – but always it evokes an emotion.
One of the reasons art speaks to so many of us so profoundly is that it’s so instinctive in people to create things, and to tell stories. Take the Paleolithic cave paintings, considered the oldest representational art dating to around 35,000 B.C.E. What urged those people to paint on the walls? They wanted to tell a story and left something behind – it was a way of communicating. This is what art does to people – it’s a language; a visual or textural or experience so we can connect with one another and ourselves.
We see the very same instinct at work today. One of our most recent projects happened to be for the home of an artist, and while it was, naturally, populated with sculptures. However, what was striking was how the space itself became a tangible artwork through the flowing structure of the space, but also through the bold use of ultramarine blue – the artist’s signature leitmotif – injecting an almost childlike joy at the beauty of the colour. Then again, in a North London home we hung the owners’ collection spanning dramatic Renaissance artworks alongside frameless modern masterpieces, in an achingly modern space. The result was unmistakably a home that was unquestionably beautiful but undeniably their own.
In short, the art we surround ourselves with, both influences how we feel, and tells a story – true or curated – about who we are and who we want to be. As a team, we both know and have experienced the profound influence that art can have on someone’s peace and happiness in their space. It was therefore intentional that when we hosted the V-ZUG X Nicholas Anthony Art Exhibition, Remembrance of Things Future this year, it was on World Mental Health Day, honouring the role art plays in our emotional wellbeing.
Artistic licence to be yourself
When it comes to incorporating art in the home, there’s an endless array of perspectives, and every view and preference has its own merit. However, one point stands out as essential: the connection between art and the home lies in their shared ability to reflect and celebrate your multifaceted self. Both provide a sanctuary where you can escape the outside world and freely explore, play, transform, and revel in the many dimensions of who you are.
Talking about the Victorian predilection for fantasy and fairy paintings in the 1850s, Dickens wrote in the weekly magazine, Household Words: “In an utilitarian age, of all other times, it is a matter of grave importance that fairy tales should be respected […] a nation without fancy, without some romance, never did, never can, never will, hold a great place under the sun.”
Whether your preference leans toward realism or escapism, to echo Dickens’ sentiment, in our increasingly fast-paced, digitised world, it remains a matter of grave importance that art be respected and cherished.
