You Need a Scientist to Tell You This?

So I'm reading an article from the esteemed Wall Street Journal titled "How Art Affects the Brain", (hat-tip to Painter's Post). Here's the amazing quote that one must put into the snarky category of "You Need a Scientist to Tell You This?" HAH. This is from a discussion about how scientific research is assisting the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore enhance or increase their potential audience.

In 2007, the museum experimented with a show of landscape paintings by Gustave Courbet which included classical music playing in the background. The lighting changed subtly every 60 seconds to create a variety of moods.

The result was that visitors spent four times as long in the exhibit than they did in other shows of the same size. Science could be used to come up with similarly creative—and cost-effective—ideas for making exhibitions more engaging for visitors.

Sorry, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell viewers of art that it's much more pleasant to listen to music, while sitting and listening, look at great works of art. Geesh. This is a plea to all art museums, galleries, sculpture gardens, please, please put out the chairs and turn on the music.

When You Don't Have Anything To Say, Show a Picture....

[caption id="attachment_191" align="aligncenter" width="504" caption="Counter-Structure #0053 8x8in.; watercolor pieces collaged on clayboard 2009"][/caption]

It's a collage of pieces of trimmings of watercolors done on 140# Arches paper mounted to an 8"x8" clayboard. 2009. View the whole series here.