Heather Von Steinhagen | Hidden Details

Dec. 18

HIDDEN DETAILS

Edge Gallery, January 7 - 25, 2022

Seeing faces in the knots of a tree or seeing animals in the clouds is called pareidolia. The term comes from the Greek words "para" (παρά), meaning beside or beyond, and "eidolon" (εἴδωλον), meaning form or image.[1] Pareidolia was once thought of as a symptom of psychosis, but is now recognized as a normal, human tendency.

If we are born with vision, our minds are wired to look for objects with meaning, almost immediately, whether it’s the smile of our parents or the eyes of the predator. As we grow, we can see faces and familiar forms in anything like a car with headlights that gives a menacing grimace, or the zoomorphic[2] stump in the woods. We develop our skills of seeking identifiable scenes in shadows as one of our primary instincts. This process of survival has me hypothesizing that we’re all innately creative and searching for meaning in the seemingly meaningless.

“Hidden Details” is a series of colourful and surreal paintings. They were created without a plan by following my intuition. It started as a way to kill time, to use up old paint, and relax. However, it became a natural, new, and exciting way for me to explore the materials and my own understanding of spirituality. I explore the push and pull of depth using colours and overlapping organic shapes, which then subconsciously morph into recognizable and hazy memories.

I suspect there are hints of my personal psychology within the paintings because they are unplanned. Once they are finished, I can find moments of memories and familiar places. They remind me of the “I Spy” books, play d’oh and the place you go during meditation. In my practice, I am interested in Sacred dimensions. From Star People to Sasquatch to unseen energies and beyond. These worlds are intermingled with my dreams, ideas, and understanding of the world.

The paintings may act as a mirror. Naturally, we’re wired to make sense of the unfamiliar by connecting experiences with something familiar. It’s in this phenomenon where I invite you to explore and explain. “Hidden Details” offers an honest mind-print (like fingerprint), often describing more than words ever could.

[1] Rosen, R., 2021. Pareidolia: A Bizarre Bug of the Human Mind Emerges in Computers. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: <https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/08/pareidolia-a-bizarre-bug-of-the-human-mind-emerges-in-computers/260760/> [Accessed 12 December 2021].

[2] Definition of zoomorphic 1: having the form of an animal. 2: of, relating to, or being a deity conceived of in animal form or with animal attributes

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