Art and a life remembered

Today I write about something meaningful to all, not just artisans in Missouri.  I reference an article written in the November issue of Art News.  To be fair, this is the only art magazine I subscribe to which does mean I play favorites.  I enjoy every aspect of this wonderful publication, but this article is a direct reference from art to psychology.  The article deals with the disease of Alzheimer’s.

The article is on pages 54-55 in the issue and is written by Gail Gregg.  It is entitled “The Persistence of Memories”.  Leaving Dali aside for now, the reader is immediately drawn within because it is a message for all.  Art saves lives.

Or rather, art can bring people back to life.  Many psychologists in the 90’s theorized that puzzles and color theory could trigger memory in the elderly which in turn could fight against the impact of the Alzheimer’s.  The idea that cognition could be saved through art was a revolutionary idea but one quickly dismissed due to the lack of empirical data.

I am not saying that Art News will dethrone Stanford University any time soon, but I highly recommend all of you taking time to go out and get a copy of Art News this Past November 2011 issue.  A short article about a big problem for all mankind.

And at the end of the read you find yourself knowing a truth.  Art saves lives.  Art is life.

Their website is www.artnews.com