How does a painting read?

[Mike McCarty]

Kim,

It is pretty nifty that our brains can do so many complicated things so quickly.

I think the reason we are able to read that paragraph is because our brain is instantly evaluating the next word possibilities based on the "context" of those words it has successfully deciphered. Once it discovers the jest, and probable direction of the sentence, it can go into a mode of "reasonable expectation" as to what the next word should-could-might be. And with the paradigm that it instantly constructs it can just fill in the blanks or ignore the mistakes.

But still it is a sequential process, unlike the gestalt which we experience when we process a painting. The sum of all is presented instantly for the eye to take in. I think the artist can have a lot of control over where the eye begins it's journey, and how the eye proceeds through the experience. But I don't think we approach this kind of visual material from any preprogrammed direction.

[Linda Nelson]

I tihnk tihs is an incrdllbely itrenistng tahred!


I think it is fascinating to read the comments so far. I would like to add that, in portraiture, we have the additional unconscious brain evaluation of the "beauty" or "acceptability" of a face. As humans, we have learned to exam the outer surface as means of analyzing and judging if anothe r is the right one as a mate. For example, we have a tendency, throughout the globe cultures, to prefer faces that are symmetrical. The more symmetrical the more we declare it desirable. I have read that there is indeed a relationship (albeit generalized) to the symmetry of one face and the overall health of an individual. Or at least the minimization of defects (ills).

On our paintings, although these faces are two dimensional pieces, I feel it is embedded in our psyche to analyze faces and features. This is, in fact an interesting methods to make a subject more (or less)attractive while not actually changing any features per se.