Comment on "The Art of Therapy"( China Daily, March 21)

This article was one of the more uplifting and compelling stories I have read about the power of art in a very long time. More frequently, however, we read reports about the astronomical prices for works of art traded in the art market and sold at auctions worldwide. We read about the increasing interest in art for its investment potential and the profiles of wealthy collectors and those newly-minted celebrity artists who are touted as the latest trend, much of it driven by fashion and the media. We also hear concerns over artistic freedom, so often overly dramatized for the sake of controversy, shameless publicity and self-promotion.

It brings to mind the old expression: "We know the price of everything but the value of nothing."

But we need to be asking bigger questions: Does this art truly matter? And if so, why? What defines its lasting value? All of this says little about the enduring power of art to do something good in the world; to do something that actually transforms lives and the way we see and experience the world around us. What Guo Haiping is doing is good; it's important, and does matter. Art has the capability to help heal us, to console us, and bring greater awareness and understanding to the complexity of our inner lives and to the lives of others. And while it is not a new idea, there are long traditions in many cultures throughout human history where spiritual and psychological forces converge. Guo's Nanjing Center for Natural Art and related art therapy programs to help the mentally ill and to dispel the stigma around mental illness has real value.

Arthur Solway, via e-mail

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(China Daily 03/27/2012 page9)