Our brain, a complex mass of neural networks that are processing huge volumes of database every day. In fact, this organ comprises of a few parts that stay active even when we completely shut down and sleep, why do you think you see dreams? This body organ is much more powerful than billions of supercomputer functioning together; it can make you walk between reality and fiction, pushing you to the other side and then pulling you back like a rubber band retreats to our finger after we let go of the force to expand it.

It is fascinating, how we view the world from our eyes is not how we perceive it; how we see the vision of artists in the blurred lines and patches of abstract art. When I was just a kid, it bewildered me that these fancy places have these paintings that aren’t close to clean and sensible. In art class, we kids were taught to colour within the lines and this free world of artists with their horses of colours and imagination running wild was both puzzling and amazing to me.

As I grew up, I started understanding the vision behind paintings as if my brain was getting rewired each day to comprehend the perplexing world of art. Today, when I see a piece of Indian contemporary art or an abstract painting, I can see beyond the colours and patterns; I can see a vision of an artist who has painted with not just colours but his imagination.

MANDALA – A SOUL CONNECTION

We often don’t notice this but paintings have the power to evoke emotions and when you start understanding art, your perception about everything changes. You evolve and grow out of the black and white world and see the fine grey emerging between both the colours, creating a possibility of an unbiased judgement and a clear conscience.

Neuroaesthetics – The Science Of Art

Art can have a really huge impact on the way we think and perceive the world around us and believe it or not there is a science behind it. Neuroaesthetics is an experimental science that studies how our brain responds to aesthetics and arts. For instance, have you ever had this victorious and pleasing feeling when you are able to comprehend the vision behind abstract art? This is a stimulus produced by your brain as a response to being successful at solving something puzzling.

A study conducted by Angelina Hawley-Dolan from the Boston College, Massachusetts questioned a group of people with two options of an abstract work by an artist and a child’s painting or one by an amateur asking volunteers to recognize, which one is by a professional. Surprisingly, most volunteers picked the right painting; thus, concluding that our brain can see beyond blurry patterns and recognize an artist’s vision.

Another study by Dr. Oshin Vartanian studied how people responded differently to altered versions of abstract paintings, thus concluding that our brain responds differently to shapes and patterns and is capable of recognizing even the slightest change in the composition. Most of the volunteers in the study, preferred the original artwork over the counterfeit; as if their brain can dodge the complexity of colours and shapes understanding the imagination behind the painting.

These studies do not just validate that Neuroaesthetics is a pathbreaking experimental science that can change the course of how our brain perceives art and how it registers even the slightest change but also the fact that the human intellect is highly intuitive and sensitive. Whether you view a piece of mesmerizing Indian contemporary art or a striking piece of European history captured in a painting, your brain registers even the most delicate and unnoticeable part of the artworks.

The Hauntings Of Art World And Psychology

Recently, I came across an article that talked about the most haunted paintings that have wreaked havoc in the lives of their owners. While I hardly believe in the fact that a canvas can ever be haunted, when I saw the artworks, they were surprisingly stirring. They don’t just look eerie but are also capable of evoking a strange emotion of fear and melancholy.

Devotion of krishna

The reason behind this is actually that these paintings were created by artists who were possibly suffering from some sort of struggle or psychotic episode in their lives. For instance, there is a painting by the name ‘The Anguished Man’ soon after creating it the artist committed suicide, which may be the reason why it appears to be so discomforting even on my computer screen.

Artists put down their emotions and imaginations on canvas and when you look at their work, you often witness the same. This is the reason why Edvard Munch’s Scream appears to be so disturbing or how will just some paint on a canvas scare us, the most powerful species on Earth. Our brain through our experiences registers emotions from the day we are born, which is why we feel emotions bubbling up even while viewing an artwork.

I sometimes feel that art should become a vital part of human psychology study because it says so much about how our brain functions and registers emotions. On closer inspection, art can certainly find the missing links to uncover some of the still unknown and complicated functions and aspects of our brain.

Tags: Contemporary art, contemporary art paintings, contemporary paintings, Indian contemporary art