VISION PROGRESSION

Connection through art and the things we like visually…

Spend some time this week looking for paintings, imagery, or photography that resonates with you. It might be fun to see what pops up with an image search for Picasso, Jackson Pollock, or Joan Miro. Or maybe you have a visual draw to landscapes, cars, or architecture. Print off a few of the images that you like most and share them with baby.

Add in a search for some of your favorite people – actors, musicians, athletes, or pop culture stars. Find a portrait photo of them and add it to the pile.

You can show these as flashcards, use them for tummy time or floor play. Or add them to the wall where you are building that Daddy Art Gallery. If you tape the cards to the walls around your house try to cluster the faces together, the objects together, and the places together – remember, brains learn how to categorize by comparing and contrasting similar things. Hold baby in front of the pictures and talk about the shape, the artist, or subject of each piece. Use your imagination or tell a story about your interest in a particular image. Excitement and enthusiasm will wear off on your child so watch for their response and expression and practice some serve and return.

Note: There is no set usage recommendation here. Use when needed as you sense your child’s interest. Don’t worry if baby isn’t off the charts stimulated by this – it’s just another tool in your Dad toolbox! This is simply a fun thing we’ve heard many dads appreciate as an easy and consistent way to connect with their child – some reporting back on having rotating art museums in the home from 5 months to about 24 months of age.

HERE is an example PDF of art and faces, but feel free to make your own for your style.

There is a deep connection between humans and things we find aesthetically pleasing – from artwork to well crafted objects to majestic views.

Researchers have been studying the interplay between humans and art for years. Studies point to the restorative qualities artwork has on the human brain, and even how our memory can be affected by the different ways we engage with art. While we have aesthetic reactions to different imagery for different reasons, the ability to be aesthetically moved appears to be universal in how our brains operate.

A meta-analysis (a study of research) of fMRI data (brain scans) in 2014 looked at data from subjects exposed to paintings under varying conditions. Their overall analysis demonstrated that art engages not only the brain systems that govern visual and object recognition but also the brain structures that underpin emotions and internal cognition. In other words, the brain is not merely visually stimulated by art, but the brain is emotionally and cognitively awoken by art.

Researchers have also found that technology can get in the way of our interactions with art. Psychological scientist Linda Henkel studied participants on a tour of an art museum. The tour was conducted with two groups – those that took physical notes vs those that took a photographic note (picture) of the paintings they toured. The following day they were tested on their ability to recall key aspects of the paintings and tour and those subjects who took pictures were less accurate in recognizing paintings from the day before.

Essentially what scientists believe may be happening is a “photo-taking impairment effect.” People who used their camera to record an event may not have paid as much attention as those who simply recorded it with their mind or hands (by writing about it). While this study was specifically on interactions with art – it appears that exploring the world more deeply occurs when we do it with our eyes and minds and body and a sense of wonder. Could early experiences of appreciating beauty around us contribute to a foundation for how exploration of the world happens later in life?

Toledo based researcher and baby art consultant Dr. Kathy Danko-McGhee has been studying infants ability to perceive and engage with art for years. Her study of children between ages 2 months to 18 months old showed that aesthetic preference was geared towards black and white drawings, popular cartoon images, colorful abstract artwork, and photographs of other baby’s faces. She is dedicated to exploring the aesthetic preferences of babies as a means to “help parents, childcare providers, and picture book authors/illustrators to provide visual imagery that is aesthetically appealing” to babies.

She now has a program that she runs with infants and parents at the Toledo art museum [currently on pause due to covid concerns]. The goal is to let babies and parents experience art both visually and sensory. Check out a video of one of her tours here [Youtube, 3min 28sec] – it may spark some ideas of your own.

The bottom line is that finding things to connect us to ourselves and to share that connection with others might be as simple as sharing the things that move us visually. Our brains are designed for it, and this can be a simple way to connect with our kids over time – starting with exposing them to the many aspects of the visual world and then watching their journey unfold as they develop their own deep meaning and interests in the aesthetic things we see.