Experimental Studies On The Aesthetics Of Spatial Composition In Traditional Chinese Paintings

This dissertation was concentrated on the psychological mechanism in the aesthetics of spatial composition.Nowadays the study on spatial composition is becoming the hotspot in the experimental psychological of aesthetics.However,there were several limitations in the relevant experimental studies:a)Little attention has been paid on the influence of frame in cross-cultural comparison;b)The methods were rather simplified and lack of ecological validities;c)Either vertical or horizontal composition was manipulated in each one experimental,thus were inherently incapable of discovering the underlying mechanisms.There were 5 experiments in this dissertation,the methods employed in the experiments included aesthetic preference evaluation,free composition,composition under-condition,and ERPs.The materials included abstract figures and typical figures in Chinese paintings.The main purpose of the experiments was to explore the principle of equilibrium in the aesthetics of spatial composition of Chinese Traditional Paintings,as well as the features of ERPs during aesthetic processing.In this dissertation,the principle of equilibrium was defined as the relationship of the elements,such as the position of single object,the distribution of several objects,the orientation of objects,and the relationship among the object,backgroung,and frame.The general conclusions were:1.There was much difference between traditional Chinese paintings and west paintings in the height-width ratio(HWR)of frame,which significantly influenced the spatial composition,and the traditional Chinese vertical frame was most different from the others.During the composition in the traditional Chinese vertical frame,participants paid more importance to the vertical symmetry axis,and preferred to place the barycenter below the center of the frame.2.Equilibrium was an important aesthetic principle of spatial composition.When there was only one abstract figure in the frame,the participants usually put it around the center or the symmetry axis of the frame.When there were 2 or more abstract figures,the participants usually put them in different quadrants,and make the conjunct barycenter of the figures around or a little below the center of the frame.As for the spatial composition of 2 or more concrete figures,participants follow similar principle.3.The orientation of concrete figures played an important role in the spatial composition.When there were 2 concrete figures,participants preferred those who formed an angle,showing that the two beings were moving together.Such principle was also suitable for the composition of "interest spot" and background.4.There was significant difference between the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere in the late ERPs of aesthetic processing,and in this period there were characteristic component of subjective preference5.There were expert-layman differences in the aesthetic processing of spatial composition.Experts showed higher quality of equilibrium in the composition,and taking the whole frame into consideration when arranging the places of the figures;Experts showed higher value in the amplitude of the ERP waves toward the "beautiful"figures.