Cannabis in the Media Pt. 4: Art
Since the beginning of legalization and decriminalization of cannabis across the country, the frequency and the way in which it has been portrayed in popular media has changed and generally been reflective of society’s view on the subject at the time, whether it be in movies, television, or music.
This is the fourth part in a series on how cannabis has affected and been portrayed in popular media. This article will specifically cover how cannabis has been portrayed in paintings with some examples of artists, and how cannabis is related to creativity. The previous three parts of this series can be viewed here:
Brief History of Cannabis Themed Art
The oldest known painting of cannabis dates back to around 5,000 BCE. It was discovered in a cave near what is now Kyushu, Japan. The painting shows the cannabis leaf, in addition to what appears to be smoke, an animal, and a person.
Later around 1230 BCE, the cannabis plant arrived in the Arab world. In the Egyptian carving of Seshat, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, there appears to be a cannabis plant above her head. While some archaeologists contend this is an etching of a starburst, others believe it is a seven-stemmed cannabis leaf.
During Medieval times, the Renaissance, and Enlightenment periods, there were a number of
Botany-based artworks produced by monks who were studying the cannabis plant. These drawings were more akin to diagrams for scientific study than they were forms of art.
By the 1960s, prohibition of cannabis had produced a number of “anti-cannabis” propaganda such as posters or flyers, meant to highlight the negative myths surrounding the plant and its use Ironically, it was during this time, that cannabis art seemed to really flourish. Often using bright colors and psychedelic images, it’s believed art was influenced not only by cannabis at the time, but by other illegal substances, such as magic mushrooms and LSD.
Today, along with the legalization of cannabis in a majority of the states, cannabis-inspired artwork is more popular than ever before. The iconic pot leaf image has possibly made cannabis the most recognized plant in the world.
Famous Artists Who Used Cannabis
Here is a sample of famous artists (both past and present) who reportedly used and/or incorporated cannabis into their work.
Salvador Dali (1904 – 1989)
Dali, whose most famous works include, “The Persistence of Memory” and “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” openly admitted to using cannabis and was even quoted as saying he tried using it and “thought it was wonderful!” Dali would later be quoted as saying “I don’t do drugs. I AM drugs.” Given the surreal nature of his works, its believed Dali continued using cannabis throughout his life and career. Artwork by Dali can be seen here.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fred Tomaselli (1956 – Present)
Tomaselli is a contemporary American painter and sculptor who uses cannabis leaves and flowers into his works. He is known for his trippy and hallucinatory yet simple images. His most well-known piece is his 1994 “Super Plant” that shows the cannabis plant set against a black background
Pierre Schmid (1987 – Present)
Schmid (aka Dromsjel) is a German digital artist whose works involve surreal images of women smoking cannabis. In his paintings, butterflies, cannabis leaves, and flowers often sprout from the women’s heads and other body parts. Schmidt has openly given credit to cannabis for his creative works. Artwork by Schmid can be seen here.
Cannabis and Creativity
Because so many famous artists (both past and present) have used cannabis, it has been speculated using cannabis makes the artist be more creative. The few studies on this suggest cannabis doesn’t make people more creative, but rather affects their perception of how creative they actually are.
In a 2017 study, a sample of sober cannabis users were compared to a sample of non-users. Relative to the non-users, sober cannabis users self-reported higher creativity and performed significantly better on “convergent thinking,” which means the ability to give the correct answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity. However, after controlling for the cannabis users’ higher levels of openness to experience, these discrepancies disappeared. So, while it appears cannabis users experience more creativity, these effects are actually an indication of their heightened levels of openness to experience, not their use of cannabis.
As explained by the study’s author: “[A]ccording to the results of this study, cannabis users may be more creative than non-users, but this is not because using cannabis has increased their creativity…. Instead, cannabis users tend to have different personality traits (they are more open to experience) than non-users, and this openness to experience is associated with both cannabis use and heightened creativity. So, cannabis use does not increase creativity, but certain personality traits tend to increase the likelihood that one will use cannabis, and that they will also be more creative.”
So while cannabis may not be directly linked to one’s creativity, it’s clear artists throughout history and in all mediums are drawn to it for its ability enhance and inspire the creativity that the artist already possesses. In addition, the cannabis plant itself (and its effects) have been the inspiration and subject matter for countless forms of art, whether it be on the screen, in music, or on a canvas.
ADVERTISMENT
