The Need for Art April 27 2026, 0 Comments

By Kimberly Nicoletti

One of the things the Raitmans are most passionate about is bringing beauty into homes, specifically through art.

Since the late 1990s, when professor Semir Zeki at the University College of London coined the term neuroaesthetics — the study of how beauty affects the brain and body — scientists have collected data on how beauty, such as artwork, positively benefits human beings. They’ve measured such biological markers as heart rate, mood, concentration and much more. 

Studies show that pleasing design decreases the heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones. It increases feel-good chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Pleasing design supports creativity and problem-solving too.

Kristof Kosmowski (Paintings) and Karen Bexfield (Glass)

Susan Magsamen, author of “Your Brain on Art: The Case for Neuroaesthetics,” wrote about how art improves people’s quality of life, mental health, speech, memory, pain and learning and how it can potentially lower symptoms and costs related to chronic illnesses and mental health.

“Art can take a viewer to anywhere they want to be or mold their mood,” Ross Raitman said.

The Raitmans curate paintings, sculptures, glasswork and more that revolve around nature and other uplifting elements. 

“This world is really beautiful … and spreading beauty is the biggest reason I do what I do,” Brian Raitman said. “The adoration of our planet is an ever-present theme.”

The need to create beauty is universal. Evidence of jewelry and paint dates back more than 100,000 years. Cave art stretches back at least 65,000 years, with hand stencils and red pigments in Spanish caves. National Geographic states that Neanderthals made art long before modern Homo sapiens arrived in Europe, proving that artistic behavior extends beyond our own species.

David Jonason Paints in Breckenridge

Psychology Today points out that throughout history, people mostly generated art simply for the purpose of beauty. In fact, beauty is so innate to life that many animals naturally possess stunning designs (think of a peacock’s feathers) to attract mates.

Art not only attracts attention and elicits emotions, it also helps humans (and animals, in the case of mating behavior) recall past events they value. As our ancestors’ brains developed over hundreds of thousands of years, they relied on visual memory; for example, hunter-gatherers needed visual memory to survive. Early on, cave drawings could help others remember something important.

These days, creating art helps humans make meaning of their world and existence. Art both reflects and shapes culture. Early humans likely used artistic portrayals for problem-solving and calculation, and as brains developed, it led to consciousness and introspection, according to Psychology Today. In other words, art helps organize and develop thoughts.

“Appreciation and understanding of art seem to be among the highest-order functions of the human brain,” wrote Nathan H. Lents in “Why Do Humans Make Art?” on psychologytoday.com. “For these reasons, I tend to believe that artistic expression and reactions to art evolved hand-in-hand with higher cognitive functions in early humans. It is natural that the new richness of our inner experience would also manifest in creative outward expression. In turn, the communication of that inner experience through art would find receptive observers, and the phenomenon of art then became ingrained culturally.”

Michael Rozenvain (Paintings) and Jared and Nicole Davis (Glass)

Artistic talent can lead to greater social status. Early on it might have shown up as becoming a leader of the hunt, and today, creating innovative and attractive art can become a career lucrative enough to support a family. Even when approached as a hobby, it literally results in the release of dopamine and other feel-good chemical messengers.

These days, whether you create art or purchase it for display, it plays a critical role in expressing what you love, showcasing personal and cultural identities. It connects viewers to the wonders of nature and fellow human beings. It stirs the imagination. It can even challenge preconceptions and encourage personal growth.

“Art has the power to move people and evoke emotions that words can never do justice to. Whether we are looking at a painting, admiring a sculpture or listening to an opera, art makes us feel alive in ways we thought were unimaginable,” according to “The Power of Art: Does Art Really Change the World We Live In,” published on artbusinessnews.com. “But what is more astonishing is that art truly has the potential to shape our world — it can create social movements and make revolutionary changes in society.”

For example, the AIDS Memorial Quilt raised awareness about a then-widely-misunderstood and feared disease. Pablo Picasso’s “The Guernica” depicted the horrors of war to help further peace. 

Pablo Picasso's "Guernica"

Art can seamlessly bridge the gap between opposites. For example, Kate McCavitt’s landscapes reflect the beauty of her surrounding environment, but she’s also very present with her light and shadow self, incorporating both into her layers of fluid acrylics and metallics.

“Ken Wilber said, ‘The point is to unify the opposites, both positive and negative, by discovering a ground which transcends and encompasses both.’ Art does that,” Kate McCavitt said.

And, due to the Raitman’s passion for beauty, plenty of pieces in Raitman Art Galleries remind visitors and collectors of the beauty and importance of nature, all of which underscore humanity’s need for art to enrich their lives.

Kate McCavitt (foreground) and Barak Rozenvain (background)