Just Culture #5: What did Picasso say?
Cross-referencing Picasso quotes with science research. Does a lifetime of experience yield science like insight? Also, spotlight on remixthearchive.com
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One of my favorite art pieces at home is a row of Picasso quotes. It’s positioned so I can see it at my workstation. It is a source of inspiration and a reminder of what to hold true.
However, should I take these statements at face value? I did a quick exercise with chatGPT; I typed up all quotes and asked chatGPT to cross-reference the statements with science-based articles.
Prompt: Act like a researcher and find scientific evidence that these statements are true. If there is no evidence, please state so.
Here’s to the output;
1. "I do not seek. I find."
Interpretation: This suggests that discovery comes through the process of engagement rather than passive searching.
Scientific Evidence: The concept of serendipity in scientific discoveries supports this. Many breakthroughs are found unexpectedly while pursuing something else (e.g., penicillin's discovery by Alexander Fleming).
"Bad artists copy. Good artists steal."
Interpretation: Suggests that true creativity involves absorbing influences and transforming them into something original.
Scientific Evidence: Creativity research indicates that great innovation often builds on existing ideas. A study by Ward, Smith, and Finke (1999) on creative cognition shows that innovators integrate and reconfigure existing concepts.
"Everything you can imagine is real."
Interpretation: Imagination has the power to shape reality or future outcomes.
Scientific Evidence: Research on mental imagery and visualization (like in athletes) supports this. Studies suggest that imagining actions can activate the same brain areas as performing the task, making future achievement more likely (Decety & Grèzes, 2006).
"It takes a very long time to become young."
Interpretation: Creativity and freedom of expression may be more accessible with experience and personal growth.
Scientific Evidence: Neuroscientific studies show that emotional regulation and cognitive flexibility improve with age (Gross et al., 2002), which may enable older individuals to reconnect with a more childlike sense of wonder and creativity.
"To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Interpretation: Creativity comes from intuition and non-rational processes.
Scientific Evidence: While there’s no direct evidence of "singing" leading to better drawing, brain hemisphere studies indicate that artistic processes often rely on intuitive, non-verbal brain activity (right hemisphere), which is separate from logical reasoning (left hemisphere).
"The chief enemy of creativity is good sense."
Interpretation: Practicality stifles creativity.
Scientific Evidence: Research on cognitive biases like functional fixedness (Duncker, 1945) suggests that overly rational or practical thinking can limit creative solutions, supporting this statement.
"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary."
Interpretation: Art reflects personal experience and emotion.
Scientific Evidence: Studies on expressive writing (Pennebaker, 1997) show that artistic expression can serve as an emotional outlet, much like keeping a diary.
"Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth."
Interpretation: Art uses metaphor and symbolism to reveal deeper truths.
Scientific Evidence: This aligns with the psychological concept of art as a form of symbolic communication (Langer, 1953), where art reveals inner truths not easily conveyed through factual statements.
"I'd like to live as a poor man with lots of money."
Interpretation: Simplicity in lifestyle despite wealth brings fulfillment.
Scientific Evidence: Research on hedonic adaptation shows that after a certain point, more money does not increase happiness (Diener et al., 1999). Living modestly despite wealth could indeed enhance well-being.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."
Interpretation: Consistent effort is required for inspiration.
Scientific Evidence: Studies on creative work (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996) show that inspiration often follows sustained effort, aligning with this view.
"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."
Interpretation: Creativity involves asking questions, not just solving problems.
Scientific Evidence: AI and computers excel at answering questions but often struggle with open-ended creativity. This is supported by research on artificial intelligence showing that while machines excel in structured tasks, human creativity in asking original questions remains superior (Boden, 1998).
"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
Interpretation: Art provides emotional relief from the mundane.
Scientific Evidence: Studies on art therapy (Malchiodi, 2012) show that art has a therapeutic effect, helping to relieve stress and refresh the mind.
"If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes."
Interpretation: Suggests that pure perception, unfiltered by cognition, enhances artistic ability.
Scientific Evidence: Mindfulness research shows that focusing purely on perception without judgment (overthinking) can lead to a richer experience of the present moment, aiding artistic expression (Kabat-Zinn, 1994).
"There are only two types of women: goddesses and doormats."
Interpretation: Overly simplistic and controversial generalization.
Scientific Evidence: No scientific evidence supports this. Gender studies emphasize the diverse, complex experiences of women.
"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them as an artist."
Interpretation: Mastery allows for creative freedom.
Scientific Evidence: Research on expert performance (Ericsson et al., 1993) suggests that expertise provides the foundation for innovative rule-breaking.
"There is no abstract art. You must always start with something."
Interpretation: Even abstract art is rooted in reality.
Scientific Evidence: Cognitive theories of conceptual blending (Fauconnier & Turner, 1998) suggest that new, abstract ideas are built upon familiar concepts.
"The world doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?"
Interpretation: Art doesn't need to conform to conventional sense.
Scientific Evidence: This aligns with surrealism and abstract expressionism, where art defies logical representation to express deeper truths (Zeki, 1999).
"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
Interpretation: Following societal standards stifles creativity.
Scientific Evidence: Creative deviance (Sternberg & Lubart, 1996) suggests that ignoring conventional taste can foster innovation.
"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."
Interpretation: Encourages a sense of urgency in creative work.
Scientific Evidence: Procrastination research (Steel, 2007) shows that delaying creative tasks can be detrimental, supporting Picasso's sense of urgency.
"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."
Interpretation: Creativity and talent should be shared with the world.
Scientific Evidence: Research on self-actualization (Maslow, 1943) suggests that achieving one’s potential and contributing to society leads to fulfillment.
"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."
Interpretation: Simplicity is difficult to achieve in art.
Scientific Evidence: Studies on naive art suggest that recapturing a childlike simplicity in art often requires a deep understanding of technique and a conscious unlearning (Gombrich, 1960).
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Interpretation: Creativity thrives through experimentation.
Scientific Evidence: Deliberate practice research shows that attempting difficult tasks outside one's comfort zone fosters learning and skill development (Ericsson, 1996).
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
Interpretation: Creativity diminishes with age due to societal constraints.
Scientific Evidence: Research shows that while children exhibit more spontaneous creativity, education systems and societal norms can reduce creative thinking as people age (Torrance, 1963).
"Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not."
Interpretation: True creativity comes from questioning established norms.
Scientific Evidence: Studies on visionary thinking show that highly creative individuals often challenge the status quo and envision alternative realities (Gardner, 1993).
"If I paint a wild horse, you might not see the horse... but surely you will see the wilderness!"
Interpretation: Art conveys the essence, not just the form.
Scientific Evidence: Gestalt psychology shows that humans perceive wholes rather than the sum of parts. In art, this concept helps convey a deeper feeling or essence beyond the literal subject matter (Koffka, 1935).
Conclusion
A lifetime of experience yields insight. A science article backed up the statements on all accounts except for the one regarding women, and rightly so. It might be the reason people remember that he had a dog more than they remember who his partners were.
Additionally, you could pick any statements by people who spent a lifetime at their craft and cross-references if they make sense. I would almost like to check what my so-called “scribbles for poems” would yield in this exercise. As I’ve gotten the feedback on my book, covered in Just Thoughts #16, it’s clear the poems written by the computer lack an “underlying thought”, a so-called distilled idea, whereas those I wrote do have that.
Finally, as some of these statements and their interpretation may be difficult to comprehend, I asked Dall-E to make me a picture of the last Picasso quote about wild horses. Here’s the output;
If you’re in Helsinki and interested in checking out AI-generated art, I highly recommend the free exhibition remixthearchive.com. Artists have augmented the art from the national gallery, bringing “old art” to life with different digital interpretations.
An idea inspired by one of the art pieces is the educative game on Netflix or YLE, which aims to unlock different national pictures. My kids learned to read playing the free game Ekapeli alku; Why couldn’t they learn art by playing a game?
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