ON THE BALANCE BETWEEN ORDER AND

ON THE BALANCE BETWEEN ORDER AND COMPLEXITY IN AESTHETICS JOHAN WAGEMANS LABORATORY OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN, BELGIUM VISUAL PROPERTIES DRIVING VISUAL AESTHETICS WORKSHOP LIVERPOOL, 14 JANUARY 2015

Overview Classic theories of aesthetics focus on balance and order Predictive coding Applications

CLASSIC THEORIES OF AESTHETICS

Experimental psycho-aesthetics aesthetics ability to receive stimulation from one or more of the five bodily senses Alexander Gottlieb BAUMGARTEN (1714-1762) taste or sense of beauty based on feelings of pleasure or displeasure, as opposed to judgment based on the intellect experimental psycho-aesthetics scientific discipline devoted to the understanding of the factors that determine aesthetic appreciation origin: Vorschule der Aesthetik (1876) by Gustav Theodor FECHNER (1801-1887)

Experimental psycho-aesthetics centuries of philosophical speculations about principles determining aesthetic appreciation Plato: proportion, harmony, unity among parts Aristotle: order, symmetry, definiteness Thomas Aguinas: integrity of perfection, clarity of form Leibniz: perfection = harmony = unity within variety Fechner De gustibus non est disputandum proposes formal laws of beauty that can be tested experimentally golden section

Experimental psycho-aesthetics Later work Birkhoff (1932): M = O / C aesthetic measure defined by ratio of order and complexity tested empirically in polygons C = number of sides O = degree of symmetry preference for shapes that are both O and C Eysenck (1942): M = O x C

Rudolf Arnheim (1904-2007) 1954/1974: Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1969: Visual Thinking. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1982/1988: The Power of the Center: A Study of Composition in the Visual Arts. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Aesthetics and psychobiology Daniel Berlyne (1971) Aesthetics and psychobiology exploratory behavior and curiosity optimal stimulation level aesthetic preference (and hedonic value) determined by average arousal potential

Aesthetics and psychobiology Daniel Berlyne (1971) Aesthetics and psychobiology exploratory behavior and curiosity optimal stimulation level aesthetic preference (and hedonic value) determined by average arousal potential not too simple, not too complex sufficient order is needed when complex

Aesthetics and psychobiology Daniel Berlyne (1971) Aesthetics and psychobiology exploratory behavior and curiosity optimal stimulation level aesthetic preference (and hedonic value) determined by average arousal potential not too simple, not too complex moderately familiar MAYA principle in design ( most advanced yet acceptable )

PREDICTIVE CODING ACCOUNT

Introduction References Van de Cruys, S., & Wagemans, J. (2011). Gestalts as predictions: Some reflections and an application to art. Gestalt Theory, 33, 325-344. Van de Cruys, S., & Wagemans, J. (2011). Putting reward in art: A tentative prediction error account of visual art. i- Perception (special issue on Art & Perception), 2, 1035-1062. doi:10.1068/i0466aap. General idea: predictive coding in general predictive coding applied to aesthetics aesthetic pleasure (reward) = succesful resolution of prediction error

Computer rendition of Fragment 6/9 by Bridget Riley (Neil Dodgson, 2009)

Gustav Klimt Reclining Woman (1914-17)

Edvard Munch Separation (1896)

Vincent van Gogh The Olive Trees (1889)

René Magritte Blanc Seing (1965)

APPLICATIONS

1. Ursus Wehrli Swiss comedian and artist http://www.kunstaufraeumen.ch/en Tidying Up Art (2002, 2004) The Art of Clean Up (2011)

Tidying Up Art Very simple idea Exploited in a creative, enjoyable way Gradually pushed further

Paul Klee Farbtafel (1930)

René Magritte Golconda (1953)

Joan Miro The Gold of the Azure (1967)

Pablo Picasso The Red Armchair (1931)

Vincent Van Gogh Bedroom in Arles (1888)

Pieter Bruegel (The Elder) The battle between carnival and lent (1559)

Georges Seurat Les Poseuses (1887-88)

The Art of Clean Up Very simple idea Exploited in a creative, enjoyable way Pushed even further cleaning up other stuff becomes art in itself

Things organized neatly http://thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com/

2. Michael Grab Canadian rock balancing artist http://www.gravityglue.com movie: Gravity Glue (2013)

Conclusions Balance, order, complexity Balance between order and complexity Order vs. disorder expectation violation prediction error need to reorganize Complexity reduction of complexity

THANK YOU JOHAN.WAGEMANS@PSY.KULEUVEN.BE WWW.GESTALTREVISION.BE