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Beyond Beauty: Attention in Meaningful Art
Published: March 18th 2025, 4:31:41 pm
A few days ago, I was captured by how frost covered the streets. Tiny, bright dots of ice reflected the streetlights, turning the cold pavement into something beautiful but also "deadly". In a place full of that 'beauty,' at minus 30 degrees Celsius, I would freeze to death. This made me think about the relationship between beauty and danger.
But beyond beauty itself—since beauty is a judgment, often tied to cultural or personal preferences—there is attraction. Attraction is a response, something that pulls our attention regardless of whether we consider it beautiful or not. For an artist, understanding this is important. Today, I want to explore the question: What makes something demand our focus?
Why We Pay Attention?
Attraction is not random. We focus on things because they have some significance to our survival, even if that connection is not immediately obvious. The bright colors of a venomous snake, the sharp silhouette of a blade, or the shimmer of water in the distance—these all demand attention because our brains are wired to detect what could help us or harm us.
Even when something is not an immediate threat or resource, it can still hold our focus if it carries meaning that has shaped our behavior over time. This idea is well studied in evolutionary psychology and cognitive neuroscience, where researchers have identified key factors that determine what we notice and why.
The Role of Contrast and Pattern Recognition
One of the most well-documented principles behind attention is contrast—our ability to distinguish objects from their surroundings. This is a survival mechanism, allowing us to detect prey, predators, and environmental changes. Donald D. Hoffman, in Visual Intelligence (1998), explains how our brains evolved to prioritize visual information that stands out, ensuring we process the most important details first. This is why we are drawn to high-contrast elements, whether it’s a tiger’s stripes, a flickering flame, or even bold graphic design.
Another essential factor is pattern recognition, a cognitive function deeply embedded in how we perceive the world. Rudolf Arnheim, in Art and Visual Perception (1954), argued that humans naturally seek patterns because they create structure and predictability. This is why repetitive or symmetrical elements in nature—like the fractal patterns of a leaf, the symmetry of a well-formed body, or the rhythmic waves of the ocean—draw our focus. Our brains expect structure, and when we find it, we engage with it.
Why We Notice Form and Motion
Gibson’s Theory of Affordances (1979) explains another layer of attraction: we are drawn to objects that suggest an interaction. A sharp edge signals caution. A smooth, curved surface invites touch. Even if we don’t act on it, we instinctively process how an object could be used. This applies beyond physical survival—artists and designers use these principles to make images and objects that “feel” right. A well-balanced sculpture or a well-composed image holds attention because our minds recognize an internal logic to its form.
Motion is another key trigger. I. Biederman’s Recognition-by-Components Theory (1987) suggests that the human brain breaks down objects into simple geometric shapes, prioritizing movement because it often signals something worth tracking. This is why flickering lights, flowing water, or shifting shadows capture our attention—they suggest something is changing, and change is often important for survival.
The Impact of Novelty and Expectation Violation
We are also drawn to what defies our expectations. R. Gregory’s Theory of Perception (1970) argues that vision is an active process where the brain continuously makes predictions based on past experience. When something violates those predictions—such as an unnatural color in a familiar setting or an unusual texture—it grabs our attention. This is why distorted proportions in surrealist art, unexpected lighting in photography, or unusual material combinations in design create intrigue.
For artists, strategically introducing visual surprises—something that slightly disrupts what the viewer expects—can create a stronger pull toward their work.
The Role of Color in Attraction
Leonard Carmichael’s Studies on Emotional Color Perception (1932) – Carmichael’s work explored how colors influence psychological states. His studies found that red is consistently associated with urgency and heightened attention, which is why it’s used in warning signs and high-impact visuals. Meanwhile, blue and green tend to evoke calmness, often making them less intrusive but more suitable for background elements.
As Artists, What Can We Do About It?
To make your art hold attention, use contrast to separate elements from their background, like how chiaroscuro creates depth with strong light-dark separation or how bold, flat colors demand focus in design. Leverage pattern recognition by incorporating repetition, symmetry, and structured layouts, as seen in geometric patterns that create rhythm or the natural balance of a human face. Use color strategically by pairing complementary hues for stronger contrast or selecting specific colors that naturally draw the eye, like red for urgency or blue for calm. Introduce small disruptions to expectations—through scale, color, or form—to keep viewers engaged, much like how surrealist paintings alter proportions or how unexpected lighting in photography shifts meaning.
If you are not into research, reading, and so on, asking questions like What attracts us, and why? might work at some level. It is difficult to understand oneself, even harder to understand others, but staying curious and aware might give you clues. Here's a simple strategy:
If you could choose one color, what would it be and why?
What things in nature share this color? Choose at least five.
What do those five things mean to us and why?
How can you use that color in your next sketch now that you know a bit more about it?
Try this same line of questioning with shapes, values, or anything else that holds your attention. If you come up with more questions, great! Let me know what I might be missing.
Conclusion
You can learn by doing, but education is a powerful tool as well. Spending a few minutes of your day trying to understand the meaning behind the tools we use in our art, I believe, will bring greater value to the way we communicate as artists.