I was stumbling through TEDtalks today and I found this one to be particularly interesting.
Now I find a lot of people may be interested or disinterested based on the subject matter, because it seems to focus on weight loss…
However, I was drawn to this video Specifically because of the emphasis placed upon human perception.
As an artist, it is always interesting to me, because while some people may be moved by a design, others might think that the artwork is trash. Now, we all know that art is entirely a subjective experience, and no two audience members will experience the exact same emotions moving through that journey.
This led me to some interesting questions about my Job as a Tattoo Artist.
How do my clients see my art?
What causes a client to find the work provided distasteful?
What does this understanding of perception mean for my art and my clients?
Does this increase my chances of art rejection or acceptance?
I have a flood of questions that I can barely scratch the surface of.
Based on the information provided in the video... It seemed that there was a higher “rate of failure” for individuals that were not motivated, and I higher rate of success for individuals experiencing more positive emotions or emotional influences. (this supports the implication that our mental health will influence our decision making abilities in ways we might not even be aware of) The understanding of optimism vs pessimism comes into play.
For this it might include:
-past experiences with other artists or tattoo shops (positive or negative)
-past experiences expressed by friends of the client. (positive or negative)
-experiences with art and emotions that influenced or birthed the concept. Which further affect the perception of their idea as a whole vs the realities of functionality and the artist's ideal outcome of their idea.
-External factors such as home environment, social climate or the stigmas associated with getting a tattoo based on occupation, religion, and social ecosystem.
So as a potential TATTOO COLLECTOR...and based on this info... are you more naturally included to lean to positives or negatives?
I'll tell you now, it will affect the decisions that you make about your tattoos.
** I have in past experiences with clients , found that one of the most surprising influences to post-tattoo issues, has been self doubt...I've had a small collection of clients, where I found, their general negative perception of themselves, seemed to affect the overall perception of the design... I found this particularly fascinating; the art on paper had the customer excited and bubbly, whereas their opinions of the artwork changed once it was in skin... I have also observed some of these emotions on a personal level. I find it so strange that a canvas's confidence or self-consciousness could play this kind of role in the overall experience of their art and their general enjoyment of that art.
(I also, have no idea how to address a client's mental health before such an incident occurs, nor how to aid after... technically I'm not a shrink and that isn't my job... however, I'm still interested by the psychological aspects of this. )
As an artist my genuine goal for my clients to have a positive experience. I want the art to generate a positive emotional response... however, in light of this information and the flimsy nature of our emotions, This may not always be the case, despite the art's physical permanency. The psychology of this both blows my mind and inspires me, like a crazy person, to learn more and explore!
The truth is, I do not have the resources to study this kind of thing more accurately. If it was ever possible, I would be exploring this theory with every asset available to me.
This will likely lead me into researching the subject of perception and psychology at great length.
But at the moment, what does this mean for you as a potential client or exploring collector?
What does this mean for me as an Artist?
My hope, is that I can explore my art further than before, in any way that I can.
To be nauseatingly creative and not be left in the box the world has made for me.
I understand a lot of this is a pretty big concept.
I'm genuinely overloaded with ideas and inspiration from watching this short video.
I hope that is grows the minds of others. ♡
I'm sure I'll be expanding on these ideas a lot as I grow and research the subject in more detail ;)