In this essay, I will discuss why we are drawn to abstract art (perhaps more accurately, non-representational or object-free art). I discuss recent data from neuroscience. And behavioural studies related to abstract art. After elaborating on the processing of visual art in general and abstract art in particular. I conclude with a few speculations about our apparent attraction to this particular type of art.
Abstract art, in particular, I contend. Liberates our brain from the dominance of reality, allowing it to flow within its inner states. Create new emotional and cognitive associations, and activate brain states that would otherwise be difficult to access. This process appears to reward. because it allows the viewer to explore previously unknown inner territories of his or her brain.
Reality and Art
Art first appeared 30,000 years ago in the course of human evolution, and humans became increasingly preoccupied with creating and appreciating works of art. Artworks sensed and perceived using the same neuronal machinery and anatomical pathways that designed to interact with and comprehend “reality.” These mechanisms evolved in order for us to acquire and analyse sensory information from our surroundings and, as a result, to successfully and adaptively behave in an ever-changing environment (see Tishby and Polani, 2011’s “Perception-Action loop” theory).
The aforementioned idea makes me think about the distinctive qualities of abstract art portraits, which, in contrast to representational art and the other forms of art mentioned above, do not represent objects or entities that are familiar to our visual system during daily experience. However, abstract art is perceived using the same system that created primarily in order to functionally represent real-world objects, just like all visual information.
Art/Abstract Art’s Neural and Behavioral Correlates
Modern brain research operates under the fundamental premise that every mental, cognitive. And emotional action is associated with a particular pattern of brain activity. Every behaviour both expresses and creates the experience that follows. Therefore, it is worthwhile to look for the neural correlates of the experience of abstract art and to make an effort to extrapolate the concepts underpinning the neural processing of this type of art.
According to the aforementioned experiments, abstract art, stylistic expertise, and experience all appear to lower cortical brain activity in comparison to the appropriate controls. These findings suggest that abstract art analysis causes less focal brain activation.
Speculations on Why We Are Drawn to Abstract Art
Three main processes can see in the analysis of pictorial art: (i) the brain’s attempt to analyse the pictorial content and style; (ii) the barrage of associations it elicits; and (iii) the emotional response it produces. Since art is created humans serves no immediate practical purpose, it naturally allows viewers to distance themselves from “reality,” which seems to have benefits for thoseappreciate it.
If the aforementioned theory were to be true. One might anticipate that the brain reacts to abstract art differently from representational art. Both between individuals and at different times for the same viewers. Indeed, behavioural studies have discovered this variability. The response to abstract art is anticipated to more influence. one’s unique inner state at a very specific moment than when viewing representational art (which more automatically activates the “survival”-related brain system). This is because abstract art reflects the inner state rather than obeying the dominance of visual objects.
Cognitive Semiotics and Psychophysiological Symbolism are used to create abstract portraits
It may seem difficult for some to even consider artworks to a social phenomenon. Because of how odd they are. They could consider social tools or artefacts. Yet many people (for instance, those who study aesthetics) approach works of art with an almost unreachable level of nuance. The overall goal of this article is to investigate how we engage with such artworks. And derive expressive meaning from them. Aiming a project like this at the entire field of art would a monumental undertakin. Thus the main focus of this essay will be on abstract expressionism, and more particularly, abstract portraits.
First, according to Noel Carroll (1992), “[Artistic interactions are]…a dialogue between artist and audience.” In his essay “Movies, the Moral Emotions, and Sympathy,” Carroll made similar claims about the ability of the media to convey emotion (2010). He says in this quote, which is quite excellent, that “[Most of us share] certain emotional domains…which different cultures craft sometimes diverging but also often converging paradigmatic emotional responsepatterns.” This refers to methods of conceptualising our emotional expression that are shared across cultures.
Paintings of abstract art, global image properties, and verbal descriptions
While global image properties (GIPs) are associated with preference ratings in a variety of visual stimuli, this relationship is rarely observed in abstract art paintings.We investigated GIPs and subjective preferences further using computational network science and empirical methods.
First, we confirmed that GIPs do not correlate with preferences for abstract art. The network structure of abstract art paintings was then estimated using two approaches: one based on verbal descriptions and the other on GIPs.
Our findings show that verbal descriptors are important in evaluating abstract art and that treating abstract art paintings as a single category is not useful in empirical aesthetics.
Recognizing Abstract Art
Understanding abstract art is simple: all you need is an open mind and a large imagination. What do you see when you look at the painting on the left?
Swirling patterns, a rainbow of colors… A flowing river’s path cutting through lush vegetation… or do you see pure energy and cosmic flow?
It is fundamentally concerned with form, colour, line, texture, pattern, composition, and process. These are the formal qualities of artwork because they describe how and what the art looks like. These formal qualities are explored in abstract art. The meaning of these formal qualities is derived from how they are used to create a visual (and/or visceral, cerebral, emotional, etc.) experience.