“A lot of people don’t know how to look at things… “
Human beings viewing artwork strive to discover the subject of the work and look for meaning. What does a computer see when looking at artwork?
What if an artwork has no subject or meaning beyond the arrangement of the elements within the frame?
Entropy is determined by the degree of chaos in the image; the more “regular” the painting, the lower the entropy.
Computer scientists have actually written programs to analyze thousands of modern art pieces to observe the connection between recognizable subjects and complete chaos. From realistic depictions to impressionistic views to simplified pop art to total abstraction.
Modern art—with blended edges and loose brushstrokes—generally possesses low complexity and high entropy. Postmodern art, a simpler style with recognizable objects and stark, well-defined edges (for example, Andy Warhol’s soup cans), has high complexity and low entropy.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/computer-program-measures-the-entropy-of-art/
Other studies have shown that political leanings tend to predict one’s acceptance level of high or low entropy artwork.
Liberals are more open to accepting and appreciating artwork that is more abstract while conservatives tend to prefer realistic artwork.
No doubt this carries into other aspects of life – Liberals are willing to accept more chaos or change. Conservatives desire order and the familiar:
- Knowing the end of a movie or book vs. surprise
- Traveling to the same places vs exploring new places
- Ordering the same food vs. trying something new
- Wearing the same clothes and getting the same haircut vs. keeping up with the latest fashion
- Having children or pets vs. living alone
The one’s level of willingness to accept a bit of chaos in one’s life carries over into the art that is created or accepted.
“A lot of people don’t know how to look at things…they only care about the subject matter and what the photos mean. Jan’s photos don’t mean anything. She just wants the visual excitement of the eye flying around and not knowing where to land.”
painter Bruce Boice discussing his Wife Jan Groover’s Formalism photographs
