Recently a friend of mine was telling me about his involvement in a series of psychological studies that track people’s eye movements as they look at images. The purpose of the studies is to see how variations in color, composition, pattern, etc. affect the speed of our thoughts, mood, and behavior. Can looking at an image filled with lots of small geometric red shapes for a few seconds cause us to be more alert? Perhaps…
I was reminded of this discussion when I came across these paintings by Melbourne-based contemporary artist Fred Fowler, because when I first saw them, I could sense my eyes quickly dancing over the image, jumping from shape to shape to shape. I love the creamy greens and blues, and each painting feels like its own strange universe, brimming with life. Definitely take a peek at his other work here. Also, you can read an interview with Fred over at the Design Files to hear more about his life and work.
{All images via Fred Fowler}