What Blocked Visual Stimuli in Art brings to Emotional Expression

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Case Report

What Blocked Visual Stimuli in Art brings to Emotional Expression

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4931333/v1

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Blindness is often defined as a sensory state with negative implications. However, this may be an uncertain conclusion. There has been a longstanding and fundamental debate about how emotions are conveyed through art. Some artists and theorists argue that visual features like color, line, form, and composition consistently express various emotions, while others believe that non-visual senses resonate more with the audience, conveying a stronger emotional connection. This article is inspired by blindness and explores how vision-able participants discover the potentiality of participatory creative process while blindfolded and without visual stimuli. In this case study, revolving around an experiment with blindfolded creative participants at the sensory arts festival, and used to analyze the non-visual characteristics of potential emotional expression by using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Authors found that evidence of consistency in emotional ratings by participants in the art practice process perceived under the visual blocked. Overall, the authors’ results reveal enhanced use and sensitivity of non-visual senses when visual stimuli are blocked, indicating a strong bottom-up and subjective expression of emotions. Scenario enactment offers a different perspective on artistic creation and its emotional value, tapping into fundamental non-visual mechanisms.

Blocked visual stimuli

art practice

interpretive phenomenological analysis

reflections

Research linking neuroscience with visual artworks has garnered significant attention from interdisciplinary research. Neuroaesthetics, for instance, emerges from this amalgamation. Neuroaesthetics represents a nascent domain within cognitive neuroscience that amalgamates theories and methodologies from neuroscience, psychology, aesthetics, and art (Chatterjee & Vartanian, 2014). Such interdisciplinary inquiry not only aids researchers in comprehending the operational principles and phenomena of the human brain and sensory apparatus, but also unveils the neural underpinnings of artistic practice and experience. Additionally, when artists collaborate directly with scientists, complementarity functions as a generative principle at a practical level, offering novel insights and approaches to art education, art therapy, and associated disciplines (Bao et al., 2017). Numerous scholars have delved into the correlation between visual art and neuroscience. Kamali et al. (2019), for instance, examined the prospective clinical utility of reward perception via the creation of visual art. Agius (2018) explored the significance of empathy as a pivotal element in the impact of visual art on individuals, while Kirshner (2019) investigated the relationship between traditional painting and neural pathways to elucidate their influence on artistic creation. Starr (2013) posited that gaining insights into the neural underpinnings of aesthetic experiences could lead to a reevaluation of our concepts of aesthetics and art. However, these research mostly serve as bridges between visual-based artistic perspectives and neuroscience. From authors’ perspective, a limiting factor for the promotion of many neuroscience and art approaches is the scarcity of cross-sensory integration without visual, for instance, a lack of engagement with ideas about non-visual sensory interaction.

In the book Blind Vision, Cattaneo and Vecchi (2011) emphasize the importance of non-visual senses in cognition. If seeing is conceptualized as the capacity to generate internal mental representations that may include visual details, then the notion of blind vision becomes a concept warranting investigation. The book explores the visual cortex of individuals with visual impairment, which, owing to the lack of visual input, undergoes reorganization to support alternative perceptual or cognitive functions. However, this reorganization is observed primarily in individuals who have experienced prolonged blindness. For those without visual impairments who experience sudden loss of visual stimuli, how do non-visual senses interact to compensate for the absence of vision?

Blocked visual stimuli

Blocked visual stimuli and visually impairment exhibit distinctions in meaning. Blocked visual stimuli focus on the visual occlusion caused by some factors, and visually impairment usually refers to people with impaired vision or visual impairment. But essentially, the brain has an extraordinary ability to reorganize itself after sensory loss (Voss, 2013), the utilization and sensitivity of other senses would be enhanced, particularly touch. Western thing on touch presents various conceptual articulations and arguments regarding the nature of tactile perception, yet they all generally view touch as a means of establishing spatial relationships and facilitating contact among different facets of experience (Derrida, 2005; Fulkerson, 2013; Merleau-Ponty & Landes, 2012).

Furthermore, in the stage of exploring the interdisciplinary research between neuroscience and vision impairments, imagination plays a crucial role in the participants' interpretation process (Stanislavski, 1989). A Mexican actor and theater director Juan Carlos Saavedra has been staging a play in complete darkness since 2007. This project has evolved into a theater company called Teatro Ciego (Blind Theater), which is still in operation. In the darkness, audiences confront assumptions about theater and are repositioned into cognitive modes beyond vision (Teatro, n.d.). Theater is conventionally a visual art based on observation, watching, and even staring, centered around the eyes. However, in darkness, audiences are confronted with assumptions about theater stripped of imagery, repositioning them into cognitive modes beyond vision. They are compelled to rely on senses other than sight, greatly expanding their everyday perception. The actors' imagination is emphasized in performance. Dubiel (2022) describes that if there's anything blind people excel at, it's imagination; they have to build their creation, storytelling, space or dialogue through their own imagination. Similarly, by depriving functionality of sight, the functions of other senses are forced to amplify, inspiring artistic diversity from this perspective.

This raises the research question of this research: Can sensory experiences based on blocked visual stimuli facilitate the diversification and multi-perspective exploration of artistic forms? How does the utilization of memory in constructing scenes aid participants in conveying emotions during the exploration of artistic forms under blocked visual stimuli?

This case study explores practical and sensory experiences inherent to artistic creation. To address the research questions in this research, the research group launched a participatory art project through blocked visual stimuli in 2022. This project is a workshop titled Pandora's Labyrinth, a participatory art practice held at the 2022 Sensory Arts Festival in Hangzhou, China. The purpose of the festival is to invite talented young creators to explore different kinds of art forms, focusing on investigating the multisensory experience of the body. This practice is an exploratory endeavor that combines integrated materials and bodily engagement through blocked visual stimuli by blindfolded. The adopted approach enables participants to navigate through their memories and emotions, immersing themselves in sensory stimuli. Aims to identify the profound meanings and potential emotional transformations inherent in these cross-sensory modal interactions between blocked visual stimuli, emotions and artistic practice.

The workshop comprised an artistic practice segment followed by post-practice semi-structured interview. The art practice is guided by the interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. IPA is a qualitative research methodology centered on participant engagement, enabling researchers to delve into, explore, and interpret the lived experiences shared by research participants (Smith et al., 2021). In IPA, the researcher assumes a dual role, both as a participant and as an observer, and that is IPA’s “double hermeneutic” (Eatough & Smith, 2017). Researchers, like participants, use everyday resources to understand the world. However, they rely on participants' narratives to grasp their experiences, maintaining a separate perspective. Therefore, IPA researchers need to explore participants' unique experiences while empathetically immersing themselves in their perspective.

Context of the art practice

The thematic framework of this workshop was grounded in the post-pandemic context in China. Participants were encouraged to integrate the contextual content and emotional experiences of the epidemic, supported by the guidance of keywords such as turbulence, uncertainty, adaptation to change, and emotional distress. These contextual elements serve as valuable background concepts, offering insights into the multisensory experiences and emotional expression states of participants. Furthermore, the workshop provided a safe space for participants to share their stories without fear of distortions and/or prosecutions after practice. The impact of research topics on participant experiences was analyzed and interpreted from diverse viewpoints (Alase, 2017).

The artistic practice involved three distinct stages of creative expression, and participants were blindfolded throughout. The whole process integrates various sensory experiences (touch, hearing, smell) and materials to validate discovered details throughout the process (Hinz, 2019). These stages included immersive guidance (involving live music and thematic guidance to immerse participants in corresponding situational environments), decentralization (using non-visual senses and creative behaviors to materialize imagination and memory), and emotional expression (employing exploration and expression from the prior stages for emotional articulation). The interaction of multisensory elements served as a guiding mechanism, facilitating transitions between stages and inviting participants into deeper exploration of mental spaces. Participants were encouraged to experiment with different art materials, fostering diverse perspectives.

Role of the team

The art practice was led by two hosts, who are serving as the primary and secondary authors of this article. They are both qualitative researchers, possessing 13 years of artistic practice and 14 years of clinical practice experience in psychology, respectively. This combination facilitated guidance from artistic and psychological perspectives during the art practice, including exploration of diverse art forms and emotional expression guidance. The art practice and semi-structured interviews were both guided by two hosts. The hosts, who are also the researchers in this study, are responsible for analyzing the data generated from this practice. The third author managed project administration, including venue coordination, participant recruitment, and screening.

Participants

The participants had varied life backgrounds, educational backgrounds, and occupational categories. One-third of the participants were invited, while the remaining two-thirds were recruited through online channels. Prior to the art practice, detailed participant information was collected, including name, age, occupation, current life experience, and emotional state in life. Subsequently, participants voluntarily signed a consent form (Creswell, 2013), thereby authorizing the publication of their procedural details and artistic output in the workshop setting. Unanimous informed consent was obtained from all six participants for this study, a collective decision designed to protect the rights and privacy of the individuals involved. The ensuing details provide specific information about each participant, employing pseudonyms to ensure confidentiality (Table 1).

Table 1

Demographic data of the participants
	Participant 1 Zhen	Participant 2 Sim	Participant 3 Wen	Participant 4 Chun	Participant 5 Nog	Participant 6 Shen
Gender	Female	Female	Female	Male	Male	Female
Age	32	22	22	26	28	30
Occupation	Designer	College student	College student	Self-media	IT Engineer	Accountant
Current life experience	Facing entrepreneurial setbacks and financial difficulties	Facing pressures emanating from academic pursuits and emotional challenges	Grappling with intense study-related stress	Prefer solitary work, tends to avoid social interactions in both personal and professional settings	Limited social interactions, preferring solitary activities, structured around a two-point and first-line work approach, with minimal interaction with colleagues	Sources of stress originate from both her career and family.
Emotional state in life	Under a high-pressure environment	Having a heightened susceptibility to the surrounding environment and individuals, exhibiting a preference for solitude and acknowledging difficulties in social interactions.	Have a year-long period of sleep deprivation	When faced with unmet plans, Chun exhibits signs of anger, indicating a potential for emotional outbursts.	External environmental influences readily impact his emotional state.	While possessing a vivid imagination, Shen tends to envision scenarios in a negative light.

Practice procedure

The comprehensive project is underpinned by a cohesive theme, namely Pandora's Labyrinth, drawing inspiration from the challenges of navigating "plans that can't keep up with change" and the tumultuous nature of lives in the post-pandemic milieu. In the backdrop of this ever-evolving scenario, individuals are confronted with myriad choices akin to navigating the labyrinth of life and unveiling the enigmatic Pandora's box at various junctures. This prompts contemplation on the decision-making process, the necessity of planning, and the implications of these choices.

In the initial phase of the practice, participants, blindfolded outside the experiential space, are guided by the hosts into an environment permeated by soothing music. Once within, participants are directed to tactilely explore diverse art materials strewn across the floor and making choices. Concurrently, the hosts guide participants in utilizing these materials to evoke associations with sources of stress and fragments of memory within their life experiences. They then guide participants in creating interactive artworks using these materials and incorporating their own body parts.

Phase 1

The first phase focuses on material selections. Participants were instructed to blindfold themselves before entering the space, purposefully eliminating visual cues and accentuating reliance on non-visual senses. Subsequently, the hosts guided each participant through tactile and smell exploration of the centrally placed art materials on the ground within the unobstructed space, ensuring unrestricted movement. The initial session, lasting one hour, aimed to facilitate a sensorial engagement with the materials. Upon entering the space, all six participants initially exhibited a sense of constraint and hesitation. With the hosts’ guidance (see Fig. 1), participants eventually settled into the space and commenced exploring the surrounding materials (see Fig. 2).

During the first stage, half of the participants reported that exposure to specific materials triggered memories or allowed for the superimposition of past memories onto present experiences. Participants displayed varying degrees of recognition for different materials. Easily identifiable items such as wool balls, twine, yoga balls, and silk scarves were promptly recognized, potentially limiting the scope of imagination. In contrast, materials like plastic water tanks and yellow translucent plastic sheets prompted speculative associations, stimulating more expansive imaginative responses. Some participants extended these associations, delving into personal memories, both melancholic and joyful, and triggering corresponding emotions. Additionally, 50% of participants found that blindfolding instilled a sense of security, affording protection from prying eyes and enabling them to explore freely and relax.

Phase Two and Three

After the exploration of the material, the six participants were randomly divided into three groups. Within these groups, participants engaged in interactive activities with both materials and their peers, simultaneously exploring memories and imagination under the guidance of the hosts. Phases two and three each lasted for one hour. Considering the difficulty in discerning the boundary between the second and third stages, as well as the immediate emergence of emotional expression post-interaction, overly broad separation between these stages may compromise the effectiveness of expression. Therefore, subsequent grouped cases are merged to elucidate.

In the second phase, each group undertakes the creation of a thematic representation utilizing their chosen art materials, coupled with bodily interactions. Throughout this process, the hosts employ language to guide each creative group in recollection and the layering of imaginative elements.

The third phase is centered on emotions and their expression. This segment manifests a degree of randomness, with each creative group adopting a unique mode of expression reflective of their individualized practice processes and effects. For example, some participants lost control of their emotions, which manifested as crying and not being able to stop. Some participants were immersed in the material exploration and expanded the material mix to the entire space, who don't want the hosts to interrupt. Upon conclusion of the entire art practice process, semi-structured interviews are conducted by the hosts and participants.

Team 1

In the first group (refer to Fig. 3), participants included Participant A (Zhen) and Participant E (Nog). During the semi-structured interview, both individuals verbally expressed their intention to utilize artistic creations as a means of conveying the depressive emotions they experience in their daily lives. While they tend not to exhibit their feelings openly. However, according to their accounts, negative emotions are harbored internally, with an uncertainty of when they might erupt. The objective in practice is to achieve expressive efficacy, with a focus on articulating feelings of depression, alleviating stress, and discovering strategies to reduce anxiety. Materials selected for interaction include wool yarn and plastic sheets.

Initially, Zhen exhibited some reluctance to fully engage, especially in physical contact with E. She appeared tense, primarily concentrating on her own yarn creation, while Nog struggled to freely explore his own creation due to the constraints posed by Zhen. With the hosts' guidance over 15 minutes, the participants endeavored to interact with selected materials and each other using various parts of their bodies. Zhen expressed a preference for immersing herself in her own world, interacting with the material first, and then integrating the interaction with others; otherwise, she felt unable to let go. Nog shared a similar sentiment, feeling less pressured, particularly in the latter part of the interaction, where both participants embraced a more relaxed approach, fostering a sense of freedom.

During the subsequent emotional expression phase, each participant engaged individually in their own expressive activities. Zhen continued wrapping wool around her fingers, reflecting on her entrepreneurial failure experience. The act of binding her hands with the thread seemed to evoke a sense of release, with the tightening of the yarn correlating with a comforting relaxation. In contrast, Nog took a distinctive approach, wrapping himself in a plastic sheet during the third stage. He described his perception of real space as limited, and by enveloping himself in the material, it felt as though he entered another space. Imagining himself navigating a maze, Nog noticed that when faced with choosing a path, anxiety increased until it reached its peak. At that point, he cut the plastic sheet, symbolizing a release and a relief from the accumulated anxiety.

Team 2

In the second group, both participant B (Sim) and participant C (Wen) aimed to express their deepest emotions through association and scenario deduction in order to relieve the stress of their recent studies. In the material selection phase, Sim and Wen frequently deliberated on the choice of paper materials. In light of the hosts’ provision of diverse paper types varying in hardness, they ultimately opted for newspapers characterized by a crisp texture and ease of cutting. Their rationale for this selection was elucidated as follows: the texture closely resembles rice paper, exhibiting a slightly malleable hair-like texture upon touch, conveying a gentle sensation. The act of tearing and stepping on the paper elicits a particular pleasure associated with destruction. As they recall, it wasn't until after all the practice was over that it was discovered that the material chosen was newspaper. The expansive size of the newspaper amplified the gratification derived from the act of destruction.

Sim posited that, while the tactile sensitivity of the feet might be less acute than that of the hands in material interactions, there exists a heightened sense of power. Following discussion, Sim and Wen opted to center their interaction around a common theme. The host guided them in selecting memories, leading to their decision to engage with materials and their bodies to evoke fragmented memories. During the creative process, Sim experienced a profound emotional reaction characterized by a surge from the abdomen to the chest and throat, resulting in tears. According to her recollection, the sensation of tearing oneself apart was palpable, with the fragments assuming an integral part of her being. Temporarily, her feet felt leaden as the emotional release unfolded through manual shredding (refer to Fig. 4).

Wen expressed a specific mental image during this emotional episode, likening death to a return to the mother's womb. In contrast to Sim, Wen proved more susceptible to external influences, particularly noting the significance of touch temperature in cold environments. Reflecting on her winter birth, Wen shared, "when a friend goes closer to my body, I yearned for her warmth increasingly. When she expressed emotion and lay beside me, thoughts of 'Mommy, hold me one more time' inundated my mind." Concurrently, Wen exhibited a propensity to lose emotional control, resulting in repeated instances of crying (refer to Fig. 5).

These two participants exhibited mutual influence, with their emotions easily fluctuating between them. Particularly, memories are fragmented in their minds, then reinterpreted through spatial reconstruction. Participants noted that repeatedly reenacting different memories in their minds can lead to the selection of different materials. For instance, when recalling a gentle memory, they may feel tenderness, thus opting for softer materials. However, when this memory stirs deep emotions, they may feel like crying, prompting them to choose materials that facilitate catharsis. The fusion of these two emotions poses challenges in artistic creation, yet this amalgamation of emotions also facilitates comprehensive emotional release. Both Sim and Wen acknowledged experiencing different emotional encounters through the creation process with blocked visual stimuli, finding emotional liberation greatly comforting. The imaginative space cultivated through reenacting memories seems to offer alternative avenues for emotional expression and exploration.

Team 3

In the third group, Participant D (Chun), and Participant F (Shen) exhibited depression stemming from environmental stressors and conditions, characterized by manifestations such as low self-esteem and considerable difficulty in decision-making. The objective of emotional expression for both individuals is to express depressed emotions while fostering self-affirmation and enhancing self-expression.

Chun expressed apprehension about navigating the environment blindfolded, but there was a reduction in awkwardness to interactions with strangers. To the best of his recollection, he held a belief in extrasensory perception regarding direction, notwithstanding occasional inaccuracies. Following the sharing of this narrative and virtual scene with partner, Chun expanded upon, and superimposed additional scenes aligned with the narrative, integrating elements such as a game background by creating space for imagination. Shen framed the solid ball as an integral part of the game scene, prompting the participants to create hollow and solid balls intertwined with twine.

According to their feedback, participants first construct a vivid mental scene, like an amusement park, and subsequently visualize incorporating different props into this scene. The tactile sensation of touching materials in the real scene corresponds to the imagined scene. For example, the texture of plastic balls evokes associations with a carousel, albeit with a difference from traditional carousels, as envisioned with a self-rotating function. Therefore, they utilize materials such as hemp rope to overlay and create upon this device. During this process, they perceive a strong contrast between softness and hardness. Such process, in turn, triggers the expression of the next set of emotions, thus creating a continuous cycle of overlapping states.

Semi-structure interview

Following the art practice session, two hosts conducted a 40-minute semi-structured interview with the six participants. Participants gathered to reflect on the artistic experience they had just undergone. This interview was conducted within the framework of interpretative phenomenology. Qualitative research interviews are often likened to conversations with a purpose, with this purpose implicitly tied to at least one research question. IPA interviews, as a conversational and explanatory data collection method, aim to establish and foster relationships with participants, enabling exploration and analysis of their lived experiences (Cooper et al., 2012). The interviewer inquired about and reflected upon two main aspects, including the participants' experiences in art practice under blocked visual stimuli and their emotional expressions during the process. For participants, the interview represented an opportunity for reflection.

The research findings are derived from IPA of art practices and semi-structured interview, emphasizing the experience of participants. The primary focus is on exploring the initiative of non-visual sensory interaction, fostering emotional expression, catharsis, and facilitating express effects. Participants underwent a multi-sensory experience, encompassing tactile encounters facilitated by blindfolding, group-based tactile interactions, odor exploration from the environment and materials, and exposure to the hosts' guided voice and intonation. Within this framework, participants are skillfully guided to articulate emotional sentiments by drawing on memories, imagination, and non-visual senses.

Participants demonstrated that, initial experiences included feelings of unfamiliarity and constraint; however, as participants acclimated to this approach, a growing sense of security emerged. In this context, the hosts played a crucial role in guiding participants, steering their thoughts, expanding their imaginative capacities, and transforming external states of overwhelm into internal states focused on introspective thinking. This guidance was particularly beneficial for individuals struggling to bridge the divide between concrete practices and emotional expression, or for those who faced challenges in engaging their imagination.

The analysis of the semi-structured interview is based on transcripts and recordings. Through the analysis of textual or narrative structures, a deeper understanding of the experiences can be revealed. Here, themes related to the first two questions are raised: describing sensory experiential with blocked visual stimuli experiences and why they are important for participants' emotional expression. All transcripts that did not focus directly on experience were excluded. The participants experienced the following:

• The blocked visual stimuli experiences bring about layered freedom in creative expression.

• Creating within the realm of imagination elicits various sensations.

• Scene enactment is closely linked to thematic creation.

• Material selection correlates directly with imagination.

• Non-visualization leads to multidimensional creation.

These themes articulate positive experiences of self. They summarize the diversity and multifaceted aspects brought about by blocked visual stimuli in artistic creation experiences.

The following six themes address the issue of emotional expression for participants in non-visual sensory experiences:

• Feeling safe, being able to create in one's own private imaginative space.

• Feeling therapeutic, complete.

• Feeling fulfilled.

• Feeling emotionally released.

• Having a sense of freedom in the experience.

• Finding relaxation in not seeing.

These themes confirm the positive impact of blocked visual stimuli on artistic creation and their beneficial role in emotional expression, highlighting values such as self-exploration, emotional significance, subjective imagery, and understanding one's place in life.

Besides, participants' evaluations of the IPA can be summarized into three themes below. To maintain direct relevance to the research findings, each theme includes statements from the participants:

1. Reflecting on the creative experience through blocked visual stimuli in IPA deepens understanding of non-visual sensory art practice methods and clarifies ways of emotional expression.

"This makes art by blocked visual stimuli clearer and more versatile, including what it is and how it presents." (Sim)

"When negative emotions are released almost completely, there is a positive emotion that emerges." (Nog)

2. Using different types of materials in layered expression can enhance the ability to explore imaginative space.

"In the process of exploring different materials, layering of materials can be used to express emotions, which are subjective and to some extent enhance the exploration of imagination." (Zhen)

"Exploring through different materials on the basis of blocked visual stimuli is a very special experience, feeling more profound than visual exploration." (Chun)

3. This process deepens participants' understanding of why methods of non-visual sensory for creation are important and meaningful for emotional expression. Reflecting on experiences in this way deepens understanding of blocked visual stimuli creative methods.

"It is important to reflect on the reasons for doing this and the experiences gained from it in practice. In this process, I am also exploring myself, reflecting on what this means for me." (Sim)

"By understanding why to experience from the perspective of non-visual sensory art form, what its significance is, and then deepening exploration of this approach, it helps to understand why it deepens the connotation of emotional expression; when I understand why to do this, I will have a better experience in the process." (Shen)

These themes and quotes confirm that participants found the IPA enabled a deeper understanding of the non-visual sensory art experience. It's worth noting that the research results indicate the importance of interpreting artistic activities (Willig, 2017).

The assessment indicates that through the IPA method, participants deepened their understanding of why non-visual sensory art practice is important and meaningful for emotional expression, as well as the significance of combining blocked visual stimuli art form with imaginative space exploration. However, the individual experiences and outcomes formed during the practical process are a relatively subjective process.

The Role of Non-Visual Sensory Art Practice in Emotional Expression

In conclusion, the utilization of non-visual sensory art practice appears to play a significant role in emotional expression, perhaps even offering a more experiential dimension than purely visual approaches. Employing blocked visual stimuli as a method, particularly for individuals grappling with insecurity, becomes a choice for artistic diversity, allowing for experiential exploration free from visual influence. For instance, participant 3 Wen, exhibited a strong sense of insecurity both during the practice and in the interview. By stimulating her non-visual senses through the blockage of her visual perception, she was able to release her inner emotions, fully expressing them throughout the practice, and even ending in tears.

Exploring Diversified Artistic Forms under Blocked Visual Conditions

Besides, by amplifying the effects of other senses, coupled with scenario enactment techniques, it facilitates the expression of personal emotions. Such expression has provided abundant practical data for interdisciplinary perspective in this research. The project revealed intriguing interdisciplinary dialogues between the two hosts, such as the intersection between art and clinical psychology, and between neuroaesthetics and perception. During the practice, Host 1 guided the participants from an artistic perspective, encouraging them to use divergent thinking to engage in spatial association with various materials. In contrast, Host 2 approached from a medical standpoint, guiding participants to use material spatial association combined with specific scene associations and memory recall to help them express their emotions in different ways. The different perspectives from different hosts addresses a key research question posed in this article: Can sensory experiences based on blocked visual stimuli facilitate the diversification and multi-perspective exploration of artistic forms? The answer is affirmative. Following visual blocked, the reactions of each participant vary. Some individuals tend to utilize existing materials around them for catharsis, approaching creation from a perspective of "destruction." Others immerse themselves in imagination, using their cognitive abilities to construct immersive worlds, potentially exploring different scene overlays from imagination and utilizing this method of scene overlay for artistic creation. Furthermore, certain participants may leverage distinct material properties to enhance tactile sensations, thereby utilizing the combination of materials and the body to pioneer new artistic forms. Due to the diverse life and work backgrounds, as well as different personalities among participants, this leads to varied sources of inspiration. Subsequently, by gathering these interactive processes from participants, art practitioners can also create diverse art forms or add various rich experiential elements to existing art forms. For instance, this could involve creating installation art that fosters material-body interaction; adding different immersive sensory experiences to existing game scenes; incorporating richer multi-sensory elements into existing interactive designs; or deriving inspiration for art based on interdisciplinary forms between art and disability.

The Relationship between Scene Construction and Emotional Expression

In terms of the research question “How does the utilization of memory in constructing scenes aid participants in conveying emotions during the exploration of artistic forms under blocked visual stimuli?”, participants with rich imaginations may find that creative experiences under blocked visual conditions deepen the establishment of imaginative space, amplify their emotions, and discover alternative pathways for emotional expression or solace through interactive means. Participant 2 Sim stated that during the creative process she used scene association to simulate a profound pain, which manifested as a surge from her abdomen to her chest and throat, resulting in tears. Thus according to her recollection, the sensation of tearing herself apart was palpable, and in the moment of practice. It was as if she was reliving the memory, with fragments becoming a part of her life. As her emotions were released through the manual act of crushing materials, her body also felt a corresponding heaviness. The statement supported the finding that utilizing profound memories and artistic materials to construct specific scenes provides an internal source rich in emotional experiences, helping participants convey emotions while exploring artistic forms under blocked visual stimuli. When visual stimuli are blocked, participants rely more heavily on other non-visual senses and internal cognitive processes, such as memory and imagination, to generate and guide artistic expression. Residual memories often combine participants’ past experiences, emotions, and sensory impressions, or significant events they have experienced. By guiding them from different perspectives, they can create vivid mental scenes and associations. This process can evoke strong emotional responses. Additionally, by revisiting and engaging with these memories, participants can channel their emotions into their artistic practice. At this moment, non-visual methods lead to different practical outcomes, transforming their internal experiences into various external forms of expression, often resulting in unpredictable or improvised combinations.

In this context, memory becomes a bridge between participants’ inner emotional world and their outward artistic output. This relationship facilitates a deeper, more personal connection to the art being created, allowing for a more authentic and powerful conveyance of emotions. This approach of guiding has proven particularly effective in environments with restricted visual stimuli, as it encourages participants to tap into their inner emotions and expressions rather than focusing solely on the exploration and combination of materials.

Implications for Art Therapy and Interdisciplinary Research

This practice advocates for continued exploration of artistic creation within a blocked visual stimuli framework and verbal guidance, emphasizing their function on emotional expression. This includes facilitating individual emotional expression to release negative emotions (such as stress and depression), as potential objectives. This serves as a catalyst for further investigation in this research, particularly in the realm of art therapy focusing on non-visual sensory experiences. For instance, this non-visual sensory stimulation-induced artistic creation may enable patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to express their inner emotions. The process of revisiting and re-engaging with memories in a controlled artistic environment can aid in processing and expressing complex emotions. This allows professional therapists to truly understand the emotional underpinnings of the patients, thus providing effective relief. Additionally, individuals with autism, who often experience heightened sensory sensitivities, may benefit from the creative environment and methods offered by non-visual artistic practices. This can help them express emotions and experiences that they may find difficult to articulate verbally. Lastly, for patients with anxiety or depression, this non-visual sensory stimulation approach can provide a therapeutic outlet. Engaging in non-visual art forms can be a calming activity that helps manage symptoms and provides emotional relief. However, further extensive validation through various relevant methods and different occasions are necessary in the future. For example, the application of non-visual sensory stimulation can be incorporated into therapeutic art programs, rehabilitation centers, special education programs, and community workshops.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Research ethics

This research project has been approved by the University of Waikato Human Research Ethics Committee HREC(Health)2022#02#.

Consent to Publish

Written informed consent was obtained from the participants for publication of this case report and any accompanying images.

Author Contribution

Y.M. wrote the main manuscript text, including conceptualization, methodology, investigation in the practice, and the table in the manuscript. T.X. focusing on the investigation of the project. Y. W. prepared project administration of the project and the figures in the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Data Availability

The data of the participants' feedback is provided within the related file, and the interview data that support the finding of this study has been deposited in the author's private google drive, the access link is: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1larHOVZPkuSIa091GwrPuPQBdan2_mxf?usp=sharing.

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No competing interests reported.

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What Blocked Visual Stimuli in Art brings to Emotional Expression

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Abstract

Figures

Introduction

Blocked visual stimuli

Material and methods

Context of the art practice

Role of the team

Participants

Practice procedure

Phase 1

Phase Two and Three

Team 1

Team 2

Team 3

Semi-structure interview

Results

Discussion

The Role of Non-Visual Sensory Art Practice in Emotional Expression

Exploring Diversified Artistic Forms under Blocked Visual Conditions

The Relationship between Scene Construction and Emotional Expression

Implications for Art Therapy and Interdisciplinary Research

Declarations

Declaration of Competing Interest

Research ethics

Consent to Publish

Author Contribution

Data Availability

References

Additional Declarations

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