Pareidolia 2
Artist Statement:
This is a site specific installation presented in the Norwich Cathedral, England as apart of the Love Light Festival program.
In a quest to explore human perception Pareidolia emerges out of the abstract fragile forms that float in this fragmented world. Pareidolia can cause people to interpret random images, or patterns of light and shadow, into things we can recognise, such as seeing faces in clouds.
“There is a universal tendency among mankind to conceive of all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object, those qualities, with which they are familiarly acquainted, and of which they are intimately conscious. We find human faces in the moon, armies in the clouds; and by natural propensity, if not corrected by experience and reflection, ascribe malice or good- will to everything, that hurts or pleases us.” – David Hume, 18th Century Philosopher.
The Rorschach inkblot test is one of the most famous examples of Pareidolia used in modern psychology. It is a examination of the mind as it reveals the psychological state of the person viewing the abstract image though the associations they draw from it. It unveils their emotions and subconscious interpretations rather than questioning how accurately they see reality.
Random patterns exist everywhere. Whether we find meaning in them is filtered by our past experiences and what we’ve seen before.
Collaboration between Nick Azidis & Rose Staff
