Signs Influence Perceptions of Modern Art
When artwork is viewed alongside short descriptions of the painter’s style, viewers perceive an increase in meaningfulness and pleasingness of those paintings.
When artwork is viewed alongside short descriptions of the painter’s style, viewers perceive an increase in meaningfulness and pleasingness of those paintings.
Neuroscientists trying to explain the popularity of the 500-year-old Ryoanji Temple Rock Garden in Kyoto, a UNESCO world heritage cultural property, have determined that the spaces between the rocks and moss in the garden create a fractal tree shape that is subconsciously pleasing to observers.
Humans routinely modify the land around them, often leading to ecological and social consequences—consequences that can affect the landscape’s character. This is the second of a two-part article that examines some current research on how landscape preferences can support actions to preserve an area’s ecology and character.
One of the feature articles in our last issue (October 2002, p. 1) covered two studies on walking behavior and neighborhood aesthetics. Three more studies also conclude that neighborhood design affects who walks, and how often then walk.