Latest news with #KettlesYard
Times
07-05-2025
- Health
- Times
The paintings (and one sculpture) that make us feel good
We all know the drill. If you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed — go for a walk! Stop looking at screens! Eat more vegetables for a healthy microbiome that some scientists link to your mental health! This week researchers from the University of Cambridge have added another suggestion to this list of solutions: gaze at something beautiful. A new study suggests that taking time out to contemplate aesthetically pleasing art can boost abstract thinking and free us from everyday anxieties. 'One snaps out of the mental trappings of daily life and focuses more on the overall picture,' says Professor Simone Schnall, senior author of the study. Schnall and co reached this conclusion after recording the responses of 187 visitors to Lucie Rie's ceramics exhibition at Kettle's
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Staring at beautiful objects really does spark inspiration
Staring at beautiful objects really can spark inspiration, a study suggests. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found that pausing to contemplate the beauty of art encourages 'big picture' abstract thinking, which transforms our state of mind. Abstract thinking is important for solving complex problems, coming up with new ideas and putting things into perspective. Looking at art can induce 'psychological distancing', the process of zooming out on your thoughts to gain clarity, the researchers believe. 'Enhance abstract thinking' Prof Simone Schnall, senior author of the study and professor of experimental social psychology at Cambridge, said: 'Many philosophers throughout history have suggested that engaging with aesthetic beauty invokes a special kind of psychological state. 'Our research indicates that engaging with the beauty of art can enhance abstract thinking and promote a different mindset to our everyday patterns of thought, shifting us into a more expansive state of mind. 'Visiting an art museum is not just a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, it may actually change how we think about our lives.' For the latest study, 187 volunteers were asked to visit the university's modern art gallery, Kettle's Yard, during an exhibition of handmade clay objects by pottery artist Lucie Rie. Participants were randomly split into two groups: a 'beauty' group which was asked to actively consider and rate the beauty of each object, and a second group who just matched a line drawing of the object with the artwork. After the task, participants underwent a test to find out how they processed information. They were asked questions such as: does writing a letter mean putting pen to paper or sharing your thoughts? Or is voting marking a ballot or influencing an election? Moved, enlightened, and inspired Dr Elzė Sigutė Mikalonytė, the lead author of the study and a researcher at Cambridge's department of psychology, said: 'These tests are designed to gauge whether a person is thinking in an immediate, procedural way – as we often do in our day-to-day lives – or is attuned to the deeper meaning and bigger picture of the actions they take.' Across all participants, those in the beauty group scored almost 14 per cent higher on average than the control group in abstract thinking. The participants' emotional states were also measured by asking about their feelings while completing the gallery task. Across all participants, those in the beauty group reported an average of 23 per cent higher levels of 'transformative and self-transcendent feelings' – such as feeling moved, enlightened and inspired – than the control group. 'Our findings offer empirical support for a long-standing philosophical idea that beauty appreciation can help people detach from their immediate practical concerns and adopt a broader, more abstract perspective,' said Dr Mikalonytė. The importance of public art venues The study is one of the first to explore how aesthetic experiences in a gallery or museum can affect cognitive processing. Researchers say it shows the importance of public art venues. It is part of a wider project being conducted by the university that is seeking to determine whether art can contribute to human flourishing and positive values. 'People today are often tethered to their devices, and we usually think in very concrete terms when we're doing something on a screen,' added Prof Schnall. 'It's becoming much rarer to zone out and just let the mind wander, but that's when we think in ways that broaden our horizons. 'Admiring the beauty of art may be the ideal way to trigger the abstract cognitive processes increasingly lost in a world of screens and smartphones.'
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Cambridge University study finds art enhances abstract thinking
Art museums could change thinking process - study Just now Share Save Harriet Heywood BBC News, Cambridgeshire Share Save Jo Underhill Almost 190 people were part of the research at Kettle's Yard gallery in Cambridge Visiting an art museum could change how we think about our lives, according to researchers. A University of Cambridge study found people's ability to think in abstract ways was boosted by admiring art. The results were measured after a group of 187 people were encouraged to judge the beauty of artwork at a Cambridge gallery. Study author Dr Elzė Sigutė Mikalonytė said abstract cognitive processes were being lost "in a world of screens and smartphones". Engaging with artistic beauty helped people escape the "mental trappings of daily life", researchers also concluded. Jo Underhill The study leaned on more subtle pieces of work to see what thoughts they provoked The study participants were shown a clay exhibition at Kettle's Yard gallery in Cambridge for the research. One group was asked to rate the beauty of each ceramic object, while the other simply looked at the art. Senior study author Prof Simone Schnall said ceramics were "ideal" for the research. "A glorious painting by an old master would be too striking," she said. "We needed art that is subtle in form, requiring a focused contemplation of the nature of beauty." The group who were asked to judge the art's beauty demonstrated more abstract thinking, compared with the group who simply looked at it. However, they did not report feeling any happier. Dr Mikalonytė said the tests were designed to analyse how a person was thinking. "It's becoming much rarer to zone out and just let the mind wander, but that's when we think in ways that broaden our horizons," she said. "Admiring the beauty of art may be the ideal way to trigger the abstract cognitive processes increasingly lost in a world of screens and smartphones." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
