Visual Perception - Introduction

Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy dealing with taste and the study of beauty in nature and art. The initial purpose of our research was to find universal aesthetic qualities or rules used in visual art. In other words, we attempted to find out what humans find pleasing to the eye on a sensory basis and why. However, during the process we discovered just how difficult that is to do, because there is no absolute, universal set of aesthetic rules that will make a painting perfect. (If such a thing existed, anyone could make a painting far surpassing the beauty created by Da Vinci, Monet, Picasso, or any other great artist.) General trends and rules have been found, but in aesthetics absolute and universal qualities are very hard (or impossible) to find. Through the study of the structures and neurological processes involved in the aesthetic experience and the conclusions of various studies, we have been able to compile general psychological trends in the field of aesthetics as well as gain an understanding of how art can be used to help and persuade people.

In order to study the psychological effects of aesthetics, an understanding of vision and visual perception must first be analyzed. This web site contains an overview of the processes and structures involved in vision. This then allows one to observe the neuroscience of aesthetics, leading to possible causes of certain aesthetic phenomena. Visual perception plays a huge role in the aesthetic experience of art; without it color and composition of paintings would be meaningless. That is why color and the light spectrum must be scientifically defined. Balance, shape or form, and depth perception are also crucial in our viewing of artwork.

After the scientific definitions and explanations are established, one may begin to search for visual preferences. Several studies have been performed that indicate several preferences involved in painting, such as color choice and orientation of the paintings. This leads to the explanation of certain rules that have been established for the composition of artworks, as well as suggesting a purpose for popular color schemes. Art is always viewed in varying social contexts, causing certain colors to have distinct meanings. Depending on a person's level of art involvement, he or she will judge art differently, as illustrated by another study. This also leads to subject matter preferences and the distinction between abstraction and realism.

General aesthetic preferences have been utilized in several different ways in today's society. One use that concerns most people everyday is advertising. We have observed what the aesthetic effect in advertising has on persuading the consumer. The other radically different use of aesthetics involves art therapy. We have researched this topic to find specifically what art therapy is used for, for whom it works best, and some of its history.

The study has been broken down into five main sections including vision, visual perception, visual preferences, advertising, and art therapy. Each of these sections is broken down into various subtopics. Please use the provided outline to visit any of these sections. Links to our discussion of limitations and conclusion, references, and other aesthetic related sites are also available.