Our project explored the creative process in non-representational
art and was a collaboration between the artist Debbie
Ayles and the scientist Arnold Wilkins at the
The project concerned the fact that certain
contemporary art, particularly op art, is judged aversive by some observers and
can give rise to complaints of headache. The art that “catches the eye” can end
up “hitting the head”.
The use of eye-catching design in advertisements
on television has reached the stage where it has become necessary for the
broadcast control authorities (initially ITC and now also BBC and ITU) to issue
guidelines for programme makers so as to avoid the broadcast of video material
that provokes seizures.
These guidelines are limited to televised
material and consider only seizures, not headache. We have developed a simple
index that can indicate how aversive an image is likely to be in the hope of
extending the guidelines to aversive reactions other than seizures and to
visual stimuli other than video material.
Many artists use migraine as inspiration (see
the collection and analysis by Dr.
Klaus Podoll ) and the artist Debbie Ayles is one
of them. Sometimes observers have reported that they find her paintings
aversive and that looking at them gives them a headache. Some of Debbie Ayles' paintings contain
aspects of spatial periodicity and colour contrast, which, in geometric
patterns, would induce visual stress. The spatial parameters of stimuli that induce visual
stress have been described in detail but hitherto only with respect to
geometric patterns. The project has demonstrated that similar considerations
apply to more complex images.
The project is now completed, and has resulted
in an exhibition “Striking
the eye” held at the University of Essex Gallery
from 15-22 July 2006.
The exhibition includes a scientific
poster describing the findings.
The Migraine
Action Association has supported the project which was funded by a Sciart Research and
Development Award from the Wellcome Trust.