How we look and what we know determines how we see and appreciate art J Wagemans |
|---|
Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
|
| Both visual perception and art appreciation are known to be influenced by a mixture of “bottom-up” and “top-down” factors. In art perception and appreciation, Gombrich’s “beholder’s share” is now widely acknowledged, and recent frameworks have tried to include all relevant components and influencing factors (e.g., Leder et al., 2004, British Journal of Psychology, 95, 489-508). Against this background, we have used a variety of research methods (eye movement recordings, rating scales, questionnaires and qualitative interviews) to try to understand how visual perception affects aesthetic appreciation in both naïve and expert viewers. I will illustrate this approach with some research projects in collaboration with three contemporary artists: Wendy Morris, Ruth Loos, and Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven. Findings about ambient versus focal viewing styles will be related to the viewer’s background and purpose, and their effects on appreciation will be demonstrated. I will also discuss some of the advantages of working with living artists rather than with classic art works. |
| Up Home |
|---|