Abstract

This paper presents an interdisciplinary approach to the question, How does art evoke emotion? Literature searches in philosophy, psychology, neurobiology, ethology, visual and musical arts, and anthropology are used to support the notion that one way emotion is evoked by art is via reflexive responses to particular visual and auditory stimuli. Although explanations of how art evokes emotion from mainstream aesthetics proved to be inadequate to account for the visceral thrills experienced when appreciating art, ethological theory was found to provide a potential explanation. Reflexive response to external specific visual and auditory stimuli such as eye spots and loud sound may account for the tingles down the spine and other such responses that can be experienced through art. Using the concept of the defense reaction to threat stimuli, it was demonstrated how humans can respond reflexively to such configurations of line, shape, color, and sound. Examples of these configurations used in art and commentary by critics and artists were used to illustrate the theory that these stimuli are used in art to evoke emotion. An empirical study using eye spots and a pointed shape as threat stimuli supported the theory. The study used the cardiovascular measures of heart rate, blood pressure, and finger pulse volume to investigate the physiological effect of the selected stimuli. The results provided some support for the notion that one way art evokes emotion is via reflexive responses to certain biologically relevant stimuli. Implications of this conclusion impact upon our understanding of art. Specifically, the conclusion reached in this paper offers a potential explanation for the universal appeal of art, an ultimate purpose for art, and a potential answer to the long unanswered question, how does art evoke emotion