Embracing Ambiguity: How Abstract Art Fuels Intellectual and Emotional Growth
Does liking art, especially abstract art, indicate that you are a smarter, more empathetic person? Arguably, yes. I was listening to “Sitting with Uncertainty,” an episode of Hidden Brain, a podcast that explores how the brain works and the ways our minds are hard-wired to make sense of the world (available at: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/sitting-with-uncertainty/). The host interviewed psychologist Aria Kruglansky, who created a scale to measure an individual’s need for closure as opposed to having a higher tolerance for ambiguity. Kruglansky's study was inspired by her own life; she was offered a position in a university's psychology department but also thought about working in an improv company. The choice before her, she realized she could not tolerate the uncertain job market in entertainment.
As she pursued her research, she discovered that this distinction suggests many ramifications for an individual's personality. Comfort with uncertainty is aligned with a high need for long cognition, spending time pondering ideas for the sake of thinking, while people who are uncomfortable with uncertainty do not enjoy spending time thinking for its own sake. And people who require time for high cognition are less likely to be persuaded by emotional arguments; instead, they require concrete evidence to be convinced. When on juries, those who enjoy high cognition and have a high tolerance for ambiguity are less likely to convict based on circumstantial evidence and more willing to acquit.
The tolerance for uncertainty also relates to the appreciation of aesthetics. Scholars found that people who like abstract art have a high intolerance for ambiguity and are high in cognition. Conversely, those who are low in their tolerance for ambiguity prefer realistic art. Liking abstract art, then, suggests a high tolerance for ambiguity, an interest in long cognition, and the ability to discern evidence-based arguments instead of relying on emotions.
After listening to the podcast and reading the articles on which it was based, I wondered: if liking abstract art was an indicator of high cognition and openness to ambiguity, would engaging with abstract art enhance cognitive abilities and emotional intelligence? Does owning art make you smarter and better? The answer, according to scholars, is -- it very well might. Several studies suggest that regular engagement with art, whether through viewing, creating, or analyzing, can offer various cognitive, emotional, and social benefits. For example, one study highlighted how viewing and interpreting art stimulates the brain and fosters analytical thinking.[1] Another study found that found that engaging with art can improve memory and critical thinking skills. The researchers suggested that actively interpreting complex artworks encourages deeper cognitive processing, which can sharpen overall intelligence.[2]
Studies also show that viewing art can help improve emotional intelligence (EQ), which is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s emotions, as well as the emotions of others. This can lead to greater empathy, emotional regulation, and social interaction for both adults and children.[3] Some studies suggest that living with art has been shown to foster creativity and encourage new ways of thinking, improving cognition, stimulating problem solving abilities, and can foster neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to form new neural connections, which is a critical aspect of learning and intelligence. Visual arts can engage multiple regions of the brain, including those involved in memory, reasoning, and emotional processing, stimulating new neural pathways to improve both intellectual and emotional capacities, supporting the idea that regular art engagement might "make you smarter" by enhancing brain plasticity.[4]
Looking at art is also important for increasing cultural understanding, which in turn can broaden intellectual horizons and deepen one’s sense of creativity and innovation. In various studies, exposure to art has been shown to broaden understanding of diverse perspectives, which enhances cognitive flexibility and overall intellectual development.[5] While art may not directly increase IQ, scholarly articles suggest that engaging with art can improve cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence, creativity, and overall mental flexibility, all of which contribute to becoming a more well-rounded and perceptive individual. These studies suggest how living with art, especially abstract art can play an important role in fostering broader and deeper intellectual capacities.
Gallery Hózhó’s most recent exhibit focused on the work of two artists who create abstract images with distinct visual vocabularies: Terran Last Gun and David Naranjo. These artists, both graduates of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, share many qualities; both artists are precise and meticulous in their work, with clean lines and balanced compositions. Both use abstraction to reflect their communities.
For Terran Last Gun, a citizen of the Piikani Nation from the Blackfoot Confederacy, the colorful geometric shapes describe the artist's worldview. Trained as a printmaker, Terran started working on antique ledger sheets during the Covid lockdown as a way to continue his artistic practice. This shift required an exploration of media, experimenting with different colored pencils and inks to achieve the sheer luminous forms. Terran contrasts the literal quality of the ledger sheet with abstract forms drawn on top. The work focuses on geometric forms, which articulate larger concepts; for example, the triangle relates to a tipi or a mountain, a reflection of the earth, while the circles suggest the sun, the moon, and the planets, the celestial world. Taken together, the artist encompasses the earth and sky, all of life in one image.
David Naranjo from Santa Clara, San Juan, and Cochiti Pueblos, reinterprets historic pottery in two dimensions, expressing cultural symbolism through hardline abstraction. He incorporates elements from Tewa patterns and designs as paintings and scarves, often executed in tactile materials such as silk and micaceous paint. For Naranjo, “Symbols and iconography depicted on pottery and embroidery are not only for ornate decorative purposes but carry great symbolic significance and serve as visual representations of the landscape, natural world, and, if used properly, for prayer.”
Abstract art challenges viewers to engage with ambiguity and draw connections beyond the surface, making it a potent medium for intellectual and emotional growth. Terran Last Gun and David Naranjo's works exemplify how abstraction transcends aesthetics to encapsulate cultural identity, history, and universal concepts. By engaging with abstract art, viewers aren't just appreciating visuals—they're participating in a dialogue that fosters deeper cognitive processing, cultural understanding, and emotional intelligence.
The evidence suggests that living with art, especially abstract works, can enhance creativity, empathy, and critical thinking, encouraging a more flexible and innovative mindset. It’s not just about becoming “smarter” but cultivating a broader appreciation of life's complexities and the myriad ways of understanding them. Engaging with the abstract invites us to embrace uncertainty, fostering a mindset attuned to curiosity and exploration—qualities essential in a world of ever-changing perspectives.
Ultimately, art enriches our inner world while connecting us to larger narratives, making it an indispensable part of personal and collective growth. Through artists like Last Gun and Naranjo, abstraction becomes a tool for expanding both individual cognition and collective cultural appreciation, proving that the language of abstraction is, indeed, a pathway to greater understanding.
[1] Abagail Housen and Philip Yenawine. "Understanding the basics." New York: Visual Understanding in Education (VUE). Retrieved July 18 (2001): 2010.
[2] Roger E. Beaty, Emily C. Nusbaum, Paul J. Silvia, R. E. Beaty, E. C. Nusbaum, and P. J. Silvia. "The Role of Passion and Persistence in Creativity,” in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, online publication (2017).
[3] Helmut Leder, Benno Belke, Andries Oeberst, and Dorothee Augustin. "A Model of Aesthetic Appreciation and Aesthetic Judgment," British Journal of Psychology 95: 4 (2004): 489-508.
[4] Kirill Fayn, Carolyn MacCann, Niko Tiliopoulos, and Paul J. Silvia. "Aesthetic Emotions and Aesthetic People: Openness Predicts Sensitivity to Novelty in the Experiences of Interest and Pleasure." Frontiers in Psychology 6 (2015): 1877.
[5] Andrea Sauchelli, “The Acquaintance Principle, Aesthetic Judgments, and Conceptual Art,” The Journal of Aesthetic Education 50:1 (2016): 1–15.
