I just read a very interesting articleover on Huffpo, about a research study which proved that people are more likely to be impressed by a piece of abstract art if they were afraid. There were 5 groups in the study. One was shown a short, scary video. Another was shown a short clip with
Kendall Eskine
babies and puppies, to make them happy. A third group had to do 15 jumping jacks, a 4th 30 jumping jacks, and the control group didn’t do anything in particular. Then, they walked through an exhibit of abstract art. The group that had been frightened was, by a clear margin, more likely to respond to the art in some way.
Now, I must confess, I generally am completely unimpressed by abstract art. You walk through the museum and you look at the pieces, and you wonder what they mean. I generally look at the plaque to see if I can get some clue, and 90% of them are titled “untitled,” and I think “Well, if the bloody artist doesn’t even know what it’s about, how the heck am I supposed to?”
But, one sentence jumped right out of this article and grabbed me. The researcher, Kendall Eskine, said “The body is not just a vessel for the mind, it is the mind, it’s all the same stuff.”
He’s done some other experiments to prove his hypothesis. In one he had subjects hold hot or cold cups of coffee and then introduced them to a stranger. Literal warmth translated directly into personal warmth. In another he had an audience watch a performance, and one group of subjects were asked to actually sit on the edge of their seats. They found the performance more exciting than the other group.
I’m not exactly sure what this research portends for the future of mankind, as we evolve into homo cyberensis or whatever, but it’s sure shaken up my view of reality. Which was overdue for a good shake.
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