Buzz
As we meander through an art gallery, observing the vast array of styles and mediums, we frequently form quick opinions about what appeals to us and what doesn’t. We convince ourselves that these judgments stem from our personal preferences. After careful observation and evaluation, we confidently declare a painting, sketch, or sculpture as bad, good, exceptional, or even a masterpiece. It seems like a clear-cut process. We believe we can recognize art instantly, and that’s the end of the discussion.
However, the reality is that appreciating art is far more complex. There are countless subtle and unexpected factors that influence our reactions—some draw us to certain pieces, while others repel us or even turn ordinary objects into art. Below are 10 captivating examples of these phenomena.
10. The Power of Suggestion
Fact: Merely Being Informed That Something Is Art Alters Our Perception of It
Recently, researchers from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands, carried out a set of experiments. They connected 24 student volunteers to an EEG machine—a device that tracks brain electrical activity—and asked them to rate a series of images based on likability and attractiveness. Half of these images depicted pleasant scenes, while the other half showed unpleasant ones. Additionally, the students were informed that some images were artworks, while others depicted real events.
The findings revealed that when students were told an image was a piece of art, their emotional reaction was, as described by the researchers, '...toned down on a neural level.' This means that when we perceive something as art, we mentally detach from it, allowing us to, in the words of lead researcher Noah Van Dongen, '...analyze or appreciate its shapes, colors, and composition...'
9. The Impact of Location
Fact: The Setting Where Art Is Displayed Influences How We Value It
A piece of art remains a piece of art. Whether it’s hung on a gallery wall or stored in someone’s garage, the same painting should theoretically be appreciated equally in both settings, correct?
In 2014, researchers from the University of Vienna conducted a straightforward experiment. Two groups of participants were asked to view an art exhibition—one group in a museum and the other in a laboratory. Using mobile eye-tracking devices, the team recorded how long each participant spent looking at the artworks in both settings. Afterward, participants were asked to evaluate each piece based on criteria such as 'liking, interest, understanding, and ambiguity.'
The findings revealed that the setting significantly influenced the experience. Those in the museum spent more time observing each artwork, expressed greater appreciation for them, and found them more intriguing compared to those in the laboratory.
In conclusion, the University of Vienna team stated that 'art museums enhance a lasting and concentrated aesthetic experience, proving that context shapes the connection between art appreciation and viewing behavior.'
8. Hunter-Gatherer Influences
Fact: The Hunter-Gatherer Era Shaped Gender-Based Preferences in Aesthetics
The next time you and someone of the opposite gender clash over the artistic merit of a painting, it could trace back to ancient times when men hunted animals and women gathered nuts and berries.
This theory is supported by Camilo J. Cela-Conde and his team. They connected 10 female and 10 male students to a MEG machine—a device that tracks the brain’s electrical currents and magnetic fields—and displayed hundreds of images to them, including artistic paintings, natural objects, landscapes, and urban scenes.
Their research revealed that when assessing art visually, men’s brains exhibited activity only on the right side, whereas women’s brains showed activity on both sides.
Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that the differing aesthetic preferences between men and women might stem from the distinct roles each gender played in hunter-gatherer societies.
Men, who hunted, needed to '...process vast landscapes,' making them '...more drawn to open spaces and larger artworks.' In contrast, women, who gathered, '...sought out nuts and berries in the same locations daily,' leading them to '...prefer smaller, more confined spatial arrangements...'
7. The Power of Familiarity
Fact: We Tend to Favor Art We Encounter More Frequently
Have you ever disliked a song upon first hearing it, only to find yourself enjoying it after a few more listens? This phenomenon has a specific name.
The 'mere-exposure effect' describes how people develop a preference for things simply because they encounter them repeatedly.
James Cutting, a psychologist at Cornell University, conducted an experiment where he briefly displayed impressionist artworks to his students for just 2 seconds each. Some of these pieces were renowned classics, while others were lesser-known but of similar quality. The lesser-known works were shown four times more often than the classics.
The outcome was unexpected. Students showed a preference for the lesser-known artworks over the classic masterpieces. However, a control group still favored the classics.
6. The Impact of Electroshock Therapy
Fact: Stimulating the Brain with Electricity Can Heighten Our Appreciation for Classic Art
Zaira Cattaneo and her team at the University of Milan Bicocca conducted a study with 12 participants, asking them to evaluate a series of paintings. The twist was that they gathered opinions both before and after applying a mild electric current to the participants' brains or simulating the procedure.
The brain region targeted in this experiment was the DLPFC, or the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for processing emotions.
Interestingly, participants who received the electric stimulation rated paintings depicting ordinary, everyday scenes more favorably.
Anjan Chatterjee, a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, suggests that stimulating the DLPFC might '...enhance your mood.'
This potential benefit is why Zaira Cattaneo hopes that, in the future, this technique could assist individuals suffering from anhedonia—a condition where people are unable to feel pleasure.
5. The Role of Ambiguity
Fact: The Greater the Ambiguity in a Work of Art, the More We Are Drawn to It
We value clarity in most aspects of life. When shopping, we prefer clearly marked price tags on items we intend to buy. While driving, we rely on well-defined signs that indicate speed limits and when to stop.
However, when it comes to art, we are drawn to ambiguity.
A study involving 29 participants aged 18 to 41, none of whom had any formal art or art history training, was conducted. They were shown images of ambiguous artworks by Rene Magritte and Hans Bellmer.
The findings were intriguing: 'The more participants perceived ambiguity in a piece, the more they appreciated it.'
Participants discovered that ambiguous art sparked '...moments of insight as they examined the work, which they found enjoyable even if they didn’t fully decipher its meaning.'
Reinforcing these observations, researchers also noted that '...the perceived solvability of ambiguity had no significant connection to liking and was even negatively associated with interest and emotional engagement.'
4. Less Information, More Appreciation
Fact: Offering Details About Artwork Reduces Our Enjoyment of It
More information doesn’t necessarily enhance enjoyment—especially in the context of art.
Psychologist Kenneth Bordens from Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, recently discussed a study involving 172 undergraduate students with minimal art knowledge. They viewed two paintings and two sculptures across four styles: Impressionist, Renaissance, Dada, and Outsider.
Initially, each student received a general definition of art and a card specifying the style of a particular artwork. Half of the participants were then given additional details, including a description of the style, its historical background, and the goals of artists working in that style.
Using a scale from 1 to 7, students were asked to rate how much they liked each piece and how well it aligned with their personal concept of art.
The study revealed that 'providing contextual information caused participants to perceive the artworks as less aligned with their internal standards compared to when no such information was provided.'
Bordens suggests that the additional information may have prompted 'greater conscious processing' among participants, potentially making them 'more critical' of the artworks.
3. Mona Lisa...Yawn
Fact: The Mona Lisa Gained Masterpiece Status Only After Its Theft
Absence often deepens affection.
Whether universally true or not, absence undeniably played a role in elevating the fame of a particular Leonardo Da Vinci painting.
Though hard to believe today, there was a period when the 'Mona Lisa' garnered '...relatively little attention.' So, what transformed it into a legend? Was it the efforts of art historians, reassessments by early 20th-century critics, or Da Vinci’s descendants? Surprisingly, it was the actions of a construction worker and his accomplices.
After spending the night hidden in the Louvre, Vincenzo and his crew woke up on Monday, August 21, 1911, donned their workman’s uniforms, seized the painting, and escaped through a rear staircase.
The 'Mona Lisa' was so overlooked that it took 26 hours for anyone to realize it had been stolen.
Global newspapers splashed the theft across their front pages. Parisian walls were plastered with wanted posters, crowds gathered at police stations, and songs were composed about the incident. This transformation turned high art into popular culture, and the public grew enamored with Da Vinci’s now universally cherished masterpiece.
Thus, much of the 'Mona Lisa’s' fame and admiration can be attributed to a little-known 5′ 3″ Italian construction worker, whom even his own brothers considered eccentric. Strange but true.
2. Patterns in Art
Fact: Recognizing Patterns in Art Resonates Deeply with Us
Our brains are naturally drawn to patterns. The ability to identify patterns was so vital that it significantly aided the survival of our Neanderthal ancestors.
Unsurprisingly, recognizing patterns triggers a burst of pleasure through our brain’s opioid system.
Jim Davies, a professor at Carleton’s Institute of Cognitive Science, emphasizes that patterns are essential in how we appreciate art. 'If we fail to detect a pattern...we quickly lose interest.'
1. Abstraction? Sacré Bleu!
Fact: Abstract Art Gains More Appreciation When Presented in a Foreign Language Context
In psychology, there’s a concept known as Psychological Distancing, which describes the '...perceived gap between ourselves and external objects.'
Elena Stephan from the Department of Psychology at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel, along with her team, explored how psychological distancing influences art appreciation.
They proposed that using a foreign language could create sufficient psychological distance to shift individuals '...away from a practical, everyday perspective and heighten their appreciation for paintings.'
Ultimately, their findings revealed that abstract art was more profoundly appreciated when presented in a foreign language context compared to a native language setting.
