Art and

Psychology
How is art and psychology related?

Art and Psychological Well-Being:

Linking the Brain to the Aesthetic
Emotion. Empirical studies suggest
that art improves health and well-
being among individuals. However,
how aesthetic appreciation affects
our cognitive and emotional states
to promote physical and
psychological well-being is still
unclear.
What is the meaning of art in
psychology?
Psychology of art is an
interdisciplinary subject talks
about perception,
understanding, art characteristics
and its productions. Psychology
of art is specifically divided into
structural and environmental
psychology. The former refers to
characteristics of mind at time of
art production or communication
with art work.
Art and Emotion
One central feature of aesthetic
experiences is their ability to
arouse emotions in perceivers. It
feels natural to experience joy,
pleasure shivers down the spine,
awe in sight of grandiose
artworks, or sometimes even
negative emotions of fear, anger
or disgust in front of visually
challenging stimuli
Gestalt Principles
Applied to
Visual Arts
Gestalt theory similarly originated in Germany.
Within art theory, the practice that explains
how we think about art and its functions, the
psychology of the Gestalt helps us understand
how our brain interprets art.
The classic principles of the gestalt theory of
visual perception include similarity,
continuation, closure, proximity,
figure/ground, and symmetry & order (also
known as prägnanz). Others, such as “common
fate,” have been added in recent years.

The law of symmetry and order is also known as

prägnanz, the German word for “good figure.” What
this principle says is that your brain will perceive
ambiguous shapes in as simple a manner as possible.
5. Continuity
6. symmetry and order
Perception
of Space:
Perspective
What is perception of space?

We can define perceptual space as the

perceived space a building occupies
based on a fixed viewpoint. For
example, if you're by a window in the
interior of a structure, looking out
onto a large backyard, your perceptual
space is increased, since your view
pushes through the glass to the
exterior.
Space Perception - process through
which humans and other organisms
become aware of the relative
positions of their own bodies and
objects around them. Space
perception provides cues, such as
depth and distance, that are
important for movement and
orientation to the environment.
Symbolic Meaning:
Psychoanalyzing
the Art and
the Artist
Psychoanalysis - more than any
other form of psychology perceives
that art is deeply rooted in the
unconscious depth of the artist.
What a man has experienced
earlier, becomes not only the
content of his dreams, but of his
creative work as well. Shelley's
secret relationship with men is well
evident in his writings.
What is the connection between
art and psychoanalysis?
Since its establishment in the early
1890s by Sigmund Freud (1856-
1939), psychoanalysis has run a
parallel track to the study of art. In
essence, both art theory and
psychoanalysis are the study of
images – real and imagined – for
the sake of rooting out a deeper
meaning.
Freud also included mimicry into
his theory in his psychoanalysis of
art. Art is a way to sublimate
repressed feelings into a physical
form. The physical form is a
representation or mimic of the true
emotion or repressed dream.
Mimicry is common thread in many
theories of art.
3 principles of
Psychoanalysis?

The three areas are those of

the dynamic 1.unconscious,
2. The plasticity of the
interpersonal drives, and
3. Mastery of Experience.
Unconscious Mind Art

Surrealism is an avant-garde
art movement that
developed in Europe during
the 1920s. It focused on
artistic expression through
the exploration of the
unconscious mind, drawing
heavily on Sigmund Freud's
theories of psychoanalysis.
The Surrealists sought to
channel the unconscious as a
means to unlock the power of
the imagination. Disdaining
rationalism and literary realism,
and powerfully influenced by
psychoanalysis, the Surrealists
believed the rational mind
repressed the power of the
imagination
2. Principle of the Plasticity in Art
The term "modelling" refers to an
important way in which
painters create the illusion that
objects depicted are three-
dimensional, by portraying the
variations of light and shade which
naturally occur in solid objects.
This illusion of three dimensions is
often referred to as plasticity.
3. Mastery of Experience

In the Art Curriculum

Mastery is when a
person is able to research
an art movement or
artist in greater depth
and adapt ideas and
processes into their own
art.
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-
based street artist, political activist and
film director whose real name and
identity remain unconfirmed and the
subject of speculation. Active since the
1990s, his satirical street art and
subversive epigrams combine dark
humour with graffiti executed in a
distinctive stenciling technique. His
works of political and social commentary
have appeared on streets, walls and
bridges throughout the world
Subliminal Suggestions and
Escapism in Music
SUBLIMINAL MESSAGEA
subliminal message is a message
that is meant to sort of slip past
your mental radar and embed
itself deep into your subconscious
mind. The word it self refers to the
fact that this message should
pass below (thatis , sub) your
normal perception
The American Psychology
Association defines
escapism as the tendency
to escape from the real
world to the safety and
comfort of a fantasy world.
Since life is innately
stressful, coping strategies
are essential to making it
through each day.
 Escapism in Music
Escapism can be seen negatively
and positively but music serves as
more than just one way to escape.
The artists that write music escape
by physically writing their
emotions and experiences into
melodies while listeners escape by
experiencing those melodies.
Why people use music as an
escape?
It can help most people by
providing a temporary
escape from stress,
improving brain function and
creating a sense of calm. This
can be particularly helpful
for those who've lived with
conditions like anxiety so
long that they've forgotten
what it feels like to relax.
https://jlsb.science-line.com/attachments/article/16/JLSB-
%202012-%20B26,%20129-133.pdf
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00739
/full

https://chrisbrejon.com/cg-cinematography/chapter-3-gestalt-
theory/

https://www.painting-course.com/the-painting-course-
1/lesson-20-gestalt-principles-of-art-and-design

https://www.britannica.com/science/space-
perception#:~:text=space%20perception%2C%20process%20th
rough%20which,and%20orientation%20to%20the%20environ
ment.
Activity:
1. Interpret Gestalt Psychology and
Psychoanalysis as theories of art and beauty.
2. Identify artworks, styles, and artists that
abide with the psychological theories.
3. Explain the psychological concepts of
subliminal suggestion and escapist
behaviour in the appreciation of art and Music
4. Make a drawing which applies the
psychological theory of perception. Using time lapse
document your process while creating your art. Render
it together with your favourite song/music.
5. Submit it on our gdrive.