Prosiect Pryder Conclusion

Anxiety, Art and Nature

During Prosiect Pryder (Anxiety Project) I worked with the architect and creative practitioner Huw Meredydd Owen, to explore how art can contribute to alleviating anxiety. We did this by examining and testing the three aims of the project, which were: 

• to design spaces that alleviate anxiety, 

• develop installations that are informed by nature's therapeutic qualities, and 

• solve the challenges of creating work on a large scale.

To design spaces that alleviate anxiety, I needed to gather the responses of people who have anxiety to different types of spaces. I had my ideas of the type of places that help to soothe my anxiety, but I was keen to discover what other people’s responses would be to these places. I asked the participants to score the work out of 5, with 1 being relaxing and 5 being stressful.

I’ve gathered the responses of 35 participants to an images questionnaire and the responses of 47 participants to a written questionnaire. Most of these people responded to an online survey that included images of my work. I’ve spoken face to face with three people about the nature of their anxiety and their responses to images of other people's work.

The images of Tarasovo House and Clapton Tram scored as being the most relaxing spaces. This result has caused me to consider the role of the art gallery, in comparison to a more homely space, for alleviating anxiety.

Tarasovo House, ZROBYM architects

Clapton Tram, London

Several factors influence the type of artwork I create. There is the initial inspiration, an idea that has grown over time through the experience of sublime nature. Some of these experiences were from my childhood and were intensified by the awe of feeling a part of the larger universe for the first time. I now understand that these experiences had even more impact on me because of my social anxiety.

If my main inspiration is sublime nature, how can I use it to create work that suits the unique context of the art gallery?

I’ve analysed the work of artists whose work is relevant to my own. These are artists who create large-scale immersive installations. I feel that it is this type of work that is most likely to be able to symbolise the direct experience of nature and its ability to cause a person to transcend their worries.

Minimalist work can provide a feeling of energy, and if large-scale scale it can symbolise the energy of the universe. This type of work often has hard surfaces, which can create a feeling of dynamism and flow. Clear structures replicate the defined qualities of the natural world, and the uncomfortable sides remind me that life is dangerous and beautiful.

I asked people to score the images of my previous work, as they include the techniques that I have been eager to develop.

Space, Lea - 2016

The image of Space scored as being most relaxing, with comments including:

+ It's very relaxing. It’s a good way of changing a conventional room into a place for meditation.

+ It's peaceful.

- Depends on how many people are around. It could be claustrophobic if it were busy.

Eclipse, Lea - 2018

The image of Eclipse scored as the least beneficial. It’s also an example of how contrasting the responses can be:

+ Simple shapes, materials and use of light created an eco-friendly feeling, respect for the natural world.

- It's like you’re falling into the hole, and the shape reminds me of capitalism and money.

One of the main objectives of the project was to solve the challenges of building large-scale installations. I wanted to create new designs for pieces that could relieve anxiety and build on my previous work. I created a series of designs using the computer-aided software SketchUp. I spent time learning how to use Sketchup so that I can create experiential virtual models.

Blue Space, Lea - 2019

I’m interested in creating spaces that are circular or without too many corners, as this can symbolise a limitless horizon (as seen in Blue Space). I’m also interested in the way that awareness of the wider universe can alleviate some anxieties. However, this type of experience might not always be suitable for someone who is experiencing acute anxiety.

Green Space, Lea - 2019

Green Space is inspired by a large James Turrell piece. When designing these spaces, I am aware that they are not easily adaptable to smaller spaces. I'm interested in creating lampshades that could be bought by people and put in their homes. For this piece, I was interested in how the grades of colouring might be able to raise a person's attention upwards.

Clouds and Sun, Lea - 2019

I've used string in previous work but have found difficulties when using it on a large scale. I was determined to solve some of the building challenges. Clouds and Sun was an idea I had for an installation I’m not sure how practical it would be. I was keen to create an effect like the sky and clouds, and had an interest in creating a surface that wasn’t completely flat - but I could see that I was going too far with the concepts and that I didn’t have the skills to develop the practical and more realistic side of the work.

I went to see a carpenter and metal fabricator to see if they could give me some more practical ideas. After discussing what could be possible, I created the Framework design based on a previous work that had worked reasonably well on a smaller scale.

Framework, Lea - 2019

I decided it would be better if the framework were square so that I could trial different ideas inside it. It would be a good idea if it could come apart so that it could be moved to different places.

The results of the questionnaires have highlighted how subjective our relationship with anxiety, art and nature is. The context of an art gallery has many connotations that are different to, for example, a space in a hospital, workplace or a private house. Although its white walls reduce the number of things that can draw the audience's attention away from the artwork, it also creates an expectation for the work to be of a high standard. But everyone's standards are different because everyone's life experiences are different. This affects their opinion of art, what they like and what they don’t. This also affects the type of places that trigger or reduce their anxiety. The original question of the project was: how can art installations alleviate anxiety? By now, I feel that a location or a space is one of several different factors that need to be adapted to alleviate anxiety. Other factors can include the dynamics within relationships, self-beliefs, quality of life, and social status, among others. I believe that the art gallery is the place to create conceptual installations as its context is different to a therapeutic place. This process has helped me see what my priorities are and what I can offer that is unique; which is the aim of creating artwork that symbolises sublime nature. With the hope that the experiences that I create could help people to transcend their anxieties.