Art movements have changed throughout history. There was a time when perfect representations of beauty were cherished while there have also been times when the exact opposite was seen as art. It has celebrated and also challenged our beliefs as a society. We will discuss the latter here.

During the Age of Enlightenment, art often symbolized concepts such as freedom & equality. Before Suffrage (the right to vote), it brought attention to the plight of women. It has been used as a tool to point out flaws in our society and its impact has been very powerful! It shows us that:

“Art seeks that which we lack but aspire for in our lives”

Not that long ago, our ancestors lived close to nature. Living in crowded places has been a recent development for humans and ever since has also been a struggle to adapt to. Urban dwellers live in small flats where natural lighting and ventilation is limited. Travelling to work by crowded public transport, lack of time to pursue aspirations, little sleep etc aggravate our state of mind.

Just like art movements, these unfulfilled needs have embodied into our willingness to nurturing indoor plants, choosing high ceilings, seeking outdoor views, going out of town on weekends etc. We can understand why many of us want “open”, “minimal” and more “natural feeling” homes. We want our homes to represent what we lack. We all are just gasping for a breath of fresh air! Now that we know why we crave nature, next we will discuss how we can bring it closer to us.