Physchological Implications of Contrast and Symbolism in Haring's Work

An essential element to Haring's art is contrast. His use of bold black lines juxtaposing or surrounding white or bright colored spaces is a trademark quality of his work. From a psychological standpoint, contrast is more “stimulating” than non-contrast, as cells in the retina and visual cortex largely respond to changes in luminance (edges, opposite colors, or outlines). Visual neurons are less stimulated by gradients or homogenous shades. From an evolutionary standpoint, areas of contrast are more necessary and informative, as they could be caused by a predator, prey, or changes in the environment. For this reason, humans have developed a greater response to contrast, while the responses to gradients are subdued. In addition, contrast requires allocation of attention. The allocation of attention is a facet of the human functions of consciousness. Through the allocation of attention, humans are able to ignore surrounding stimuli and focus on the stimuli that are most “important” (e.g. focusing on the lion is more important than focusing on the trees surrounding it). Although Haring’s use of contrast seems to be a product of his own expression rather than an analysis of what might “excite” the brain most, it is still to credit for his works popularity and ability to propel an overlooked movement.

Haring’s use of symbolism and abstraction makes his art a particularly effective medium for social activism because it elicits a level of empathy and engagement. Simple outlines of human or animal-like figures seem to be a throughline in Haring’s work. Pareidolia is perhaps the reason why we interpret these simple, abstract shapes as human beings or animals. Although Pareidolia is commonly used to explain the reason why humans see faces in random objects (outlet, clouds, household items) it also refers to the human tendency to interpret a stimulus as an unfamiliar object, pattern, or meaning. Humans are also able to identify a simple abstract outline as a dog, for example, because of our ability to understand symbols. As stated in the introduction, the limitations of human memory force us to associate certain simple images with more complex ideas or objects. Through this tendency, humans are able to understand abstraction and symbolism, two elements central to Haring's work. In addition, Haring's work often contains depictions of motion. Simply looking at images of motion and action triggers the motor system, or more specifically, the mirror neuron system. Mirror neurons are neurons that fire when they observe a human or a representation of a human performing a certain action. This element of motor engagement that may occur when one views work like Haring’s elicits a feeling of empathy for the viewer. His use of symbolism and depictions of movement force human’s to subconsciously exercise abstraction and their motor systems, making Haring art particularly relatable and engaging, compelling people to pay attention to, or even join, the movement behind the artwork.

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