+ Art Technologies 1201 Topic 1: Perception and Sensation

+ Outcomes In this lesson you will learn: The difference between “sensation” and “perception” The process involved by which people turn sensation into perception To form relationships between works of art, art styles and perceptions The role “cultural bias” plays in creating art images

+ From birth, we begin a lifelong exploration of our surrounding environments, relying on our senses for the information we take in to process with our brains. Understanding how this occurs will help us to understand and create art work AND will also help us to realize that everyone’s response to a piece of art will not be the same. Some of the first section of this course will remind you of science courses, but trust that the relationship to art will become apparent… As we begin our exploration of perception and how it relates to air history and art making, we should first examine what perception means, and look at how it is different from (but related to) sensation.

+ Sensations are the result of the activities of our senses, including those senses which are called somatic senses (touch, heat, cold, pain, etc.). The receptors for sensations in our bodies* make it possible for us to respond to stimulus activation. Therefore, A SENSATION IS A RESPONSE TO SOMETHING. A stimulus is anything which triggers a sensory response. You don’t have to understand what something is in order to see it. For example, a visual stimulus for a baby is a toy. The baby may not understand what the toy’s purpose is, but the baby can still see it.

+ The sense of sight is primary! Our sense of vision provides more than 85% of the information we take in. With art being so reliant on our sense of vision, knowing how people “see” helps artists go about creating their art.

+ Once you are aware of a “sensation”, your brain gets involved. Your brain interprets signals sent by the receptors. Perception is a process that takes place in the brain. It involves understanding. The baby who sees the toy soon learns that it is a toy through repeated experiences. The baby has a shift from sensation to perception. Do you remember when you first learned the concept of “hot”? (It’s probably also when you learned the concept of “burn”.) As young children, you had no experience with “hot”, and when touched something hot, the pain sensation from your fingers helped you learn about “hot”. The sensation provoked a perception about things that can be hot.

+ Because perception involves the brain, PERCEPTIONS CAN BE LEARNED. We were born with the ability to sense, but perception involves experiences which shape our understanding of the world. Th Concept: STREET Can you see how perceptions can be different, depending on your experiences with the world?

+ Perceptions are also shaped by our relationships with Family Friends Community Society Culture Concept: COMMUNITY Can you see how perceptions are based on our experiences with the world?

+ In the visual arts, we may think of works of art as examples of an individual’s (or a society’s) perceptions. Their art works reflect their beliefs, ideals, fears and desires. Example: The significance of carvings that form totem poles. Unless you’re a member of the society that produced the poles, or studied that social group, you couldn’t expect to fully understand the meaning behind each totem pole. You could EXPERIENCE them, but your perceptions may be different than that of the creators. **That isn’t a negative thing; you can stull experience and appreciate; just be aware that there is likely more to understand.

+ Styles of art show that people from similar places and times often share perceptions. You can usually tell by similarities between different pieces of art. Example: If you look at art work that was produced in the Middle Ages, it says a lot about how people viewed the world and what was important at that time (for the Middle Ages, religion was very important). Art styles which have a time period in history in common are sometimes called “movements”.

+ Lesson Assignment Part 1 Make a list of 10 things which we all sense that are COMMON to people living anywhere (ex: a baby laughing) Make a list of 10 things which are UNIQUE to people living in our area, but which may not be experienced by people living elsewhere (ex: the smell of fish in the summer) Part 2: Research the following types of art styles/movements and note the SIMILARITIES and DIFFERENCES between them. CUBISM; IMPRESSIONISM; SURREALISM Answer questions provided