Medialness and the Perception of Visual Art

Abstract

In this article we explore the practical use of medialness informed by perception studies as a representation and processing layer for describing a class of works of visual art. Our focus is towards the description of 2D objects in visual art, such as found in drawings, paintings, calligraphy, graffiti writing, where approximate boundaries or lines delimit regions associated to recognizable objects or their constitutive parts. We motivate this exploration on the one hand by considering how ideas emerging from the visual arts, cartoon animation and general drawing practice point towards the likely importance of medialness in guiding the interaction of the traditionally trained artist with the artifact. On the other hand, we also consider recent studies and results in cognitive science which point in similar directions in emphasizing the likely importance of medialness, an extension of the abstract mathematical representation known as 'medial axis' or 'Voronoi graphs', as a core feature used by humans in perceiving shapes in static or dynamic scenarios.We illustrate the use of medialness in computations performed with finished artworks as well as artworks in the process of being created, modified, or evolved through iterations. Such computations may be used to guide an artificial arm in duplicating the human creative performance or used to study in greater depth the finished artworks. Our implementations represent a prototyping of such applications of computing to art analysis and creation and remain exploratory. Our method also provides a possible framework to compare similar artworks or to study iterations in the process of producing a final preferred depiction, as selected by the artist.

Unlocking the Colours Within a Child's Educational Guide to Abstract Art

“…Watch sunlight dance through a kaleidoscope of glittering mobiles, your laughter intertwining with the tinkling chime of recycled treasures. Leymarie & Aparajeya (2017) This Article discusses the likely importance of medial-ness in guiding the interaction of the traditionally trained artist with the artefact, providing insights into the perceptual and interpretive aspects of artistic creation. Yu & Nagai (2020) This article explores the usage of painting materials in children's painting works, shedding light on the practical aspects of training and creation in fine arts painting.…”

Swarm-Based Identification of Animation Key Points from 2D-medialness Maps

“…Mickey Mouse). A now classic technique, which emerged in the Disney studios in the 1930's is to indicate the main pose via a single curve and redraw and deform this curve to indicate how the character to animate shall change its main allure and position [2]. This technique, often referred to as the "Line of Action" (or LoA) is also used to draw 3D characters, but we focus in this initial work on using the LoA in conjunction with 2D profiles only (examples in Fig.1).…”

Skeleton-based shape similarity.

“…That is, unlike contour-based representations such as those based on curvature extrema (e.g., Richards et al, 1988), skeletal representations can represent shape “configurally,” that is, in terms of the global organization of the entire shape (Kimia, 2003). Empirical support for the importance of skeletal representations has come from psychophysics (Ayzenberg et al, 2019; Burbeck & Pizer, 1995; Firestone & Scholl, 2014; Harrison & Feldman, 2009; Kovács et al, 1998; Lowet et al, 2018; Wang & Burbeck, 1998; Wilder et al, 2016), development (Ayzenberg & Lourenco, 2022), neuroscience (Ayzenberg et al, 2022; Hung et al, 2012; Lescroart & Biederman, 2013), and even visual art (Leymarie & Aparajeya, 2017). Several recent studies have found evidence that shape similarity judgments are particularly affected by differences in skeletal structure.…”