artworks i like - Paintings in Hospitals

“ARTWORKS I LIKE” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Background 1: 1 This report describes the methods, findings and implications of a qualitative research study that explores the artwork preferences of autistic people. It presents a number of insights into the qualities of artworks and ways to use different types of visual art to create positive engagement for people with autism. 1:2 The project was conducted by the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art, which has a special research focus on art and design in relation to autism, in collaboration with Paintings in Hospitals, over a six-month period from autumn 2013 to spring 2014. The research was conducted by Dr Chris McGinley and Doctoral candidate Katie Gaudion and supervised by Professor Jeremy Myerson, Director of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design. 2 Methodology 2:1 The study adopted an inclusive design methodology to enable autistic people across the spectrum to participate in the study, express opinions on the subject and help to select artworks for the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre in Cambridge. It also adopted a strength-based (as opposed to deficit-based) approach, by exploring the sensory preferences, special interests and different action capabilities of people with autism. 2:2 The study began by organising the extensive art collection held by Paintings in Hospitals into relevant and meaningful categories for research. A review of literature was conducted to assess different perceptual theories in relation to how autistic people might visually perceive artworks. Interviews with four experts in the autism field enhanced the research team’s knowledge of how different artworks might be experienced by those with autism. 2:3 The study then took a three-pronged approach to gathering research data. An online survey targeted people with autism, their carers and family members and academics and professionals in the field. A total of 71 online surveys were completed. A specially designed booklet covering the same subjects was distributed to four relevant centres to be filled in by autistic people with their carers. Results from the booklets were combined with the online survey. Finally, a postcard series of artworks was shown to a small group at the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre in Cambridge, with preferences noted through the use of ‘like’ and ‘dislike’ boxes.

i

“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People

3 Findings and Principles 3:1 The study analysed responses to specific artworks covering 21 different categories of work: animals; countryside; photograph/realism; fragmented; buildings; optical; tactile; shapes; polychrome; technical/ detailed; sculpture; everyday life; flowers and plants; people; sea and sky; abstract; cartoons/comics; impressionist; minimal; pattern/ repetition and monochrome. 3:2 This analysis generated a set of 17 artwork principles that were qualified by a further round of expert interviews. These principles are not intended to be prescriptive but instead aim to inform and guide in choosing artworks with and for people with autism. The artwork principles are as follows: 1. Special interests: Pairing the subject and/or style of an artwork to a person’s special interests is a good way to engender positive engagement. 2. Detailed: Detailed, technically drawn artworks proved popular with some participants who became preoccupied with the level of detail. 3. Balance/Symmetry: Artworks that are balanced and symmetrical are important to many people with autism who find uneven or incomplete work frustrating. 4. Pattern/Repetition/Order: Artworks with repeating patterns, shapes and details proved to be popular, appealing to a need for predictability and order. 5. Counting/Systemising: Artworks with repeating elements that viewers could count and systemise (eg leaves or bricks) were seen as relaxing and calming. 6. Colour: While the study did not reveal any direct correlations between specific colours and reactions to artworks, it did reveal the general importance of choosing colours with special care for both hyper- and/or hypo-sensitive people. 7. Narrative: Artworks that communicate stories and events in a single image that is clear, simple and unambiguous can create a positive experience and trigger dialogue. 8. Associations: Artworks that encourage reflection on positive past experiences and associations (eg a scene of a seaside resort) are useful to people with autism. 9. Realistic/Technical: Artworks with a realistic, precise and accurate depiction of subjects were popular with participants, who were quick to point out any inaccurate details.

ii


10. Distorted/Fragmented: Artworks that were neither realistic nor abstract but adopted a distorted or fragmented approach to subjects were widely criticised. 11. Sound: It is important to be mindful of responses to artworks that evoke different sounds through colour, texture or pattern (eg the buzzing of bees next to flowers). 12. Tactile: Satisfaction can be gained from touching tactile artworks that use thick paint and/or other materials such as lace, wood, ribbon or leather. 13. Foreground and Background: Some people with autism find it difficult to distinguish between foreground and background, so it is important for compositions to have a focal point and for background detail to be treated with equal importance. 14. Context: Vague, incomplete or ambiguous information in an artwork does not give the clear sense of context that many people with autism require to enjoy it. 15. People: Individuals with autism can find social interaction and eye contact a challenge, so caution should be exercised in the use of portraits that gaze out directly. 16. Motion: Care should be taken in selecting artworks that elicit different movements, rhythms and vibrations, especially threedimensional objects that require people with poor depth perception to navigate and manoeuvre around them. 17. Abstract: Some autistic people are literal thinkers and find it difficult to understand abstract concepts and metaphors. Concrete representational artworks tend to create more positive engagement than abstract work. 3:3 The report concludes with some general advice on the location, context and positioning of artworks in the environment, and on installing artworks (the use of temporary posters is advised to manage the transition for the person with autism before the real artwork is permanently installed). In an environment such as a diagnostic centre for autism where it is impossible to personalise artworks for every individual visitor, an approach is recommended whereby artworks are arranged into themes and styles that complement a person’s hyperand/or hypo-sensitivities. The project will conclude with an evaluation of selected artworks on display at the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre, Cambridge, to evaluate possible benefits to those with autism using the facility.

iii


CONTENTS Executive Summary

i

1. Introduction

1

2. Methodology

12

3. Selection Summary 19 4. Artwork Principles 41

1

5. Conclusion

59

6. References

64


1. INTRODUCTION We all see and interpret things differently; this is particularly true with artworks. Individual lives, outlooks and experiences determine visual preferences and unique individual response to visual cues. For example our response may be motivated by personal associations; a painting of the seaside may be enjoyed as it evokes recollection of a holiday, or portraiture may be generally disliked as we are made to feel uneasy with the sense of being looked at. Cognitively we may prefer a realistic style of painting over a more abstract representation, because we can clearly recognise the subject without ambiguity, or we could prefer subdued minimalist paintings over more colourful expressive paintings as the former makes us feel relaxed. There is no right or wrong in artwork choices, it is subjective and a reflection of the individual. In collaboration with Paintings in Hospitals, this research project invited autistic people across the spectrum, together with caregivers and experts in the field to express opinions on the subject and to take part in the selection of artworks for the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre in Cambridge. The design team facilitated an inclusive process through a range of design methods that invited the participants to explore a wide collection of artworks, and express what they liked and/or disliked and to qualify (where possible) the reasons for their responses, in order to develop some understanding of how autistic people might perceive and experience art. The research engaged a broad group of people with autism, online; trialled methods with those using an assessment centre and engaged face-to-face in a shared housing setting with adults with autism with minimal speech and additional learning disabilities. The aim of the research was to create a rich collection of qualitative insights in order to assist in identifying the types of artwork or qualities within artworks that provide the most interest and positive engagement for people with autism. The design team drew upon any patterns and correlations of response, to develop themes that were further developed to inform a collection of artwork principles. The artwork principles are not intended to be prescriptive but instead are suggested as a helpful starting point for consideration when selecting artworks for and with autistic people. The project will conclude with an evaluation of selected artworks on display at the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre, Cambridge, to evaluate possible benefits to those with autism using the facility.

2


• Consent has been granted for all photographs used within this paper. • The real names of the participants have been removed or replaced with pseudonyms to preserve anonymity. • Throughout the paper, the term ‘neurotypical’ is used to describe people who are not autistic – a term widely used by the autism community. • The term ‘autistic’ person is the preferred language of many people with autism (see Sinclair, 1999). In this paper, we use this term as well as person-first language (such as ‘adults with autism’) to respect the wishes of individuals on the autistic spectrum.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong complex neurodevelopmental condition, which affects the way a person interacts with and experiences the world around them (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is a spectrum condition, therefore it can affect people in vastly different ways. Someone with autism might be very sociable, while others find social relations difficult. Some have learning disabilities while others possess high levels of intellectual ability. It is also no longer considered rare: it is estimated that 1 in 100 people are diagnosed with autism (Baird et al, 2006; Brugha et al, 2009).

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Art

“

There is a far better relationship with pictures of people than with people themselves. Pictures, after all, cannot interfere. Charles was affectionately interested in the picture of a child in a magazine advertisement. He remarked repeatedly about the child’s sweetness and beauty. Elaine was fascinated by pictures of animals but would not go near a live animal. John made no distinction between real and depicted people. When he saw a group photograph, he asked seriously when ‘the people would step out of the picture and come into the room.”

Kanner (1943) p247

3


Dr Leo Kanner (1943) together with Dr Hans Asperger (1944) formed the basis of our understanding of autism. The description (on previous page) is an extract taken from Kanner’s seminal paper ‘Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact’ (1943). The extract describes how the children had a better relationship and displayed affection, fascination and concentration with pictures of people than with the people themselves. Since Kanner’s seminal paper, artworks have largely been used to nurture expression and communication for people with autism, with little exploration of a person’s perception and engagement with art. Extending Kanner’s description of children’s responses to pictures of people and animals, this research will investigate how people with autism perceive and react to a variety of artwork subjects and styles from painting to sculpture and photography.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: strengths based approach Research conducted by the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design in collaboration with autism charity The Kingwood Trust, adopts a strengths-based (rather than a deficits-based) approach by exploring a person’s ‘triad of strengths’, including: 1. A person’s sensory preferences 2. Special interests 3. Different action capabilities These strengths provided a framework and informed the design process. Using a strengthsbased approach, the design research team hypothesise that a persons sensory preferences, special interests and how they visually perceive and experience the environment are important features to consider, as key influencers in artwork references. Each characteristic is described briefly (on the following pages), followed by initial questions and thoughts relating to each.

4


1. Sensory Sensitivities In the latest revision of the diagnostic criteria (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; DSM-5, 2013) sensory sensitivities for the first time, are recognised as a core characteristic of autism. This can affect a person’s ability to interpret, filter and regulate sensory information from the environment, leading to a person becoming hyper-sensitive (over-stimulated) and/or hyposensitive (under-stimulated) by what they sense, influencing how they perceive and experience the environment in which they live. For example, while some autistic people find certain sounds (e.g. dogs barking) or visual input (e.g. fluorescent lights) uncomfortable, others seek out and take pleasure in such stimuli, such as the sound of the desktop fan or watching washing machines spin. Art is composed of a variety of textures, colours and shapes of different intensity and style, which affect the ‘feel’ of an environment. Therefore it is important that artworks compliment a person’s sensory profile and how a person perceives and experiences artworks might be a reflection of this. For example if a person is hypo-sensitive they might enjoy artworks that include bright colours, rich textures and detail. Conversely, a person who is hyper-sensitive might feel vulnerable and overwhelmed by too much visual information, and many prefer structured or perhaps visually muted art, where colour, texture and details are limited or compartmentalised.

2. Special Interests A person with autism may have rigid routines and special interests, where they become focused or strongly attached to specific objects or phenomena. One of the earliest studies to examine special interests was the 1989 paper by Kerbeshian and Burd that looked at a child’s special interest in pinball machines. Since then special interests has become a growing topic of conversation within blogs, forums and autobiographical accounts (Welton, 2004; Grandin, 2011; Trehin, 2006) and parent accounts (Fling, 2000). There is a growing body of research exploring special interests and how they may influence social interaction (BaronCohen, 1989/1997/1999, Atwood et al, 2003, Baker et al, 2000; Boyd et al, 2007; Charlop-Christy et al, 1996/1998,; Dunst et al, 2010) small pockets of researchers have also begun looking at special interests as an important intervention for learning and skills development. (Vacca et al, 2007; Vismara, 2007; Kavan et al, 2011; Kluth et al, 2009/2010; Gagnon, 2001; Winter-Messiers et al, 2007/2007).

5


“I began to get to know

my environment not through interpretation but through physically-based sensing and for that I began primarily through touch. I began feeling textures and surfaces in my mouth, under my hands, on my cheeks and through my (insistently) bare feet: shiny smooth surfaces, solid and cold surfaces, scratchy and rough surfaces, boingy surfaces that bounced.”

Donna Williams: 1998. P62

The subject matter of art is wide and varied so the possibility of finding a theme and subject that can connect with a person’s interests is highly likely. Matching the subject and/or style of an artwork to a person’s interests can be a good way to select artworks to enhance the potential that a person might positively engage with it. This becomes a useful strategy when you consider, for example, a person who likes Thomas the Tank Engine might enjoy an artwork with trains; a person who enjoys watching cartoons might like pop art; a person who likes to spin objects might enjoy an artwork featuring windmills and swirling patterns.

“Tom spends a lot of

his free time tearing magazines. He particularly enjoys looking at people’s faces in magazines and will tear around them very meticulously. Tom loves objects that spin and has a collection of more than 200 of them. He also likes rubber objects that bounce and pop up, enjoying the suspense of waiting for them to flip up. Researcher

“I am interested in colour because I like colour coding. When I painted my old flat I got the colour of the paint closest to the world atlas – sandy colour represents 1000 metres above sea level.”

Kingwood resident

6


3. Visual Perception Autistic people may experience difficulty processing sensory information visually, to understand how an autistic person might visually perceive artworks, the design team drew upon three perceptual theories: 1. The unique perceptual experiences of people with autism was first explored by Uta Frith’s (1989) notion of weak central coherence, a theory that describes how a person tends to focus on the small details of the environment rather than perceive it as a whole. This is in contrast with gestalt psychology, which describes how people firstly see an object as a whole before seeing it in parts (the whole being greater than the sum of its parts). An autistic person’s strengths might be processing local or detailed information in their environment, in which the sum of its parts are greater than the whole. How would a person who experiences weak central coherence perceive and experience art? Would they find it difficult to conceptualise the artwork as a whole and connect the foreground, middle ground and background and instead focus on the different elements individually that make up the composition? 2. Frith’s weak central coherence theory was followed by Motton & Burack’s (2001) theory of enhanced perceptual functioning, whereby an autistic person may have excellent focus on details in addition to superior abilities in various aspects of perception – recognising, remembering, and detecting objects and patterns. This relates to some of the people that Kingwood Trust support who have a heightened awareness of aspects of the environment, which neurotypical people tend to overlook. For example, Pete will not walk on shiny wet floors, Tim does not like it when the extractor fans in the staff room are turned off and Sarah struggles with the sounds emitted by objects if it is not in C minor pitch. How would a person who experiences enhanced perceptual functioning perceive and experience art? Would they enjoy looking for patterns within detailed composition and/or focus on a tiny detail within the background of an image? Lastly Pellicano & Burrs (2012) describe how the perceptual experience of autistic people is one that is less influenced by prior knowledge about the sensory world. As a result, some autistic

7


people have a tendency to perceive the world more accurately rather than imbued by prior experiences. Therefore in the context of an autistic person’s interaction with the environment, could a person’s difficulty with building up or using prior knowledge about the environment lead to an idiosyncratic set of affordances? For example the idea of weakened prior knowledge might mean that a person does not have a robust model of what a washing machine is (within a neurotypical context), in terms of what it looks like (the perception of the washing machine) or what it is used for (the concept of the washing machine). This might explain why Tim at Kingwood is interested in the unintended affordance of his washing machine, so instead of perceiving it as an object to wash clothes, he has it on all day (with or without clothes) as he enjoys the sound and spinning effect that it makes. How would a person whose experiences are less influenced by prior knowledge perceive and experience art? If a person has weakened prior knowledge then this might mean that they do not readily understand the context or subject matter of an artwork, particularly as in most cases they will be presented with images (e.g. landscapes) that they might not have previously encountered. Also, not being able to build strong internal representations of objects and events might mean that images are seen afresh, rather than mapped on what is known about them already. For example, autistic people might be less likely to classify all the possible instances of a coffee cup (e.g. still life images, actual objects, abstract representations) into a single internal category that they know as a cup. Instead they might extract different meanings when they see artworks of similar objects.

8


“ When I step into a

room for the first time I often feel a kind of dizziness with all the bits of information my brain perceives swimming inside my head. Details precede their objects; I see scratches on a table’s surface before seeing the entire table, the reflection of light on a window before I perceive the whole window, the patterns on a carpet before the whole carpet comes into view.”

Tammet. 2009 p.177

Expert Interviews The design team invited four experts to take part in an informal interview to help gain further insights about how an autistic person’s might perceive and experience art. The experts included Jon Adams and Robyn Stewart, both talented artists with Autism, Ian Wilson who has facilitated creative workshops with adults with autism with learning disabilities and limited speech and lastly Catherine Manning a psychologist and PhD Candidate at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education. Ian Wilson Ian is the Art Co-ordinator at the Hoffman Foundation and has over 23 years of experience of working with adults with an Autism Spectrum Condition. A wealth of informed and exciting ideas are provided to support social and personal development through participation in a range of arts and crafts related activities, such as drawing, textiles and furniture making. See more at: http://www.hoffmannfoundation.org. uk/art-centre#sthash.hFgnKJHh.dpuf Jon Adams Jon’s seeking of the ‘concealed’ in his art often reveals his Aspergers naturally systematic thinking via his inclination and ability to uncover systems within everyday interactions and landscapes. His current work weaves photography, video, sound recording and digital sound and visual manipulation, 3D installations, traditional sculpture and illustration. He specialises in digital accessibility and socially inclusive work. Jon was awarded an RSA Fellowship in 2012 and serves on the Arts Council South West Area Council and a Director of the ‘Artist Access to Arts Colleges’ scheme. He is also on the partnership board for Fratton BigLoca.

9

“Thinking back to my diagnosis there was no art on the wall there was leaflets and pictures and other peoples health leaflets and it was distracting in a way, and it probably wasn’t helpful.” Jon Robyn Stewart Robyn has a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome and is an artist and author of The Independent Woman’s Handbook to Super-safe Living on the Autistic Spectrum. She is also an NAS (National Autistic Society) Ambassador. Her aim is to help educate, support and raise awareness on the Autistic spectrum. http://www.robynsteward.com “The thing about having artwork in the diagnostic room is that its going to depend upon the individual and what they focus on because for some people you have to do a series of tasks…. so if you are in a room that has artwork that the person gets distracted by, then that’s going to alter their response to a certain extent.” Robyn Catherine Manning Catherine is a PhD student and Research Officer at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE). Catherine is interested in how children with autism see the world around them, and how this can impact on their daily lives. She spends most of her time working on her PhD, which is looking at how children with and without autism judge the speeds and directions of moving objects. Catherine also spends one day a week working as a Research Officer on the ‘Seeing the World Differently’ project, which uses mathematical models to better characterise and understand perceptual differences in children with autism. http://crae.ioe.ac.uk


Booklet Participants The Kingwood Trust Kingwood helps people with autism and Asperger’s to live the lives they choose. It makes sure they learn what matters to the people they support and what they want to do with their lives, and then they help them make this happen. Their philosophy is simple – they believe that people with autism and Asperger’s can, like all of us, continue to develop and grow, make choices and be valued, active and contributing members of the community. That is why their services are tailored to meet individual needs and are built around supporting people to live enjoyable, purposeful lives with a greater degree of independence in their own homes, within the communities in which they live. www.kingwood.org.uk ActionSpace ActionSpace was launched in the 1960s and established as an independent charity in 1984. Their aim is to support the creative and professional development of artists with learning disabilities and to create innovative, exceptional and unique projects that provide London’s learning disabled community with opportunities to engage with the visual arts. ActionSpace supports the development of artists with learning disabilities in a professional studio environment and creates innovative projects for people with learning disabilities to engage with the visual arts. http://actionspace.org

The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre is based on the Fulbourn Hospital site, run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT). Three organisations were fundamental to the creation of the diagnosis centre - the Autism Research Trust (ART), the National Autistic Society (NAS) and the N Sethia Foundation. The Centre accepts national referrals for adults, in conjunction with a post-diagnosis support Centre for people with autism and their families in Cambridgeshire. The Centre is also home of CPFT’s Cambridge Lifespan Asperger Syndrome Service (CLASS) clinic. which pioneers the specialist assessment of adults who may have Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism. The Centre also offers a range of services including increased support for adults on the autistic spectrum and meeting spaces for local organisations and groups who support those with the condition.

The Hub Day Centre The Hub was opened in 1953 as a special school for children with learning, communication and behavioural difficulties, by Alice Hoffmann de Visme MBE. In the 1970s the school became an educational day centre as there were no provisions back then for school leavers. The Hub provides a service for people with autism and learning difficulties. A large majority of the service users have not been formally diagnosed with autism. www.hoffmannfoundation.org.uk

10


2. Methodology Existing research The area of autism and art is under-explored, existing research tends to provide insight into artists on the autism spectrum, their work and some insights into subject and artistic style (Mullin, 2009, Hosseini, 2011, 2012, Miller, 2008). However, current publications tend to be based more on abilities and outputs, focusing on autistic artists with little research focused on interpretation and preferences of people with autism as consumers of art (Osborne, Elliot, 2002). Research positioning As a relatively new approach, people-centred design research has borrowed from and cross-fertilised with many methods from the social sciences, particularly those connected to anthropology (Clarke, 2010) with its qualitative, holistic, almost artisan qualities (Geertz, 2000). Design anthropology, which sees designers engaging in social research as part of their design process (Clarke, 2010), has emerged to look beyond form, function and the materiality of objects, towards unpicking complex interactions, social and cultural relevance and meanings between objects and people (Clarke, 2010). A people-centred design philosophy, fully engages with observational techniques and human focus, gathering primary information in relation to issues where often there is little existing prior research. Quantitative and qualitative approaches differ not only in terms of the techniques used but also the data collected (Creswell, 2009), as this study’s intended to investigate personal choice and potential impact, the choice was made to focus upon qualitative approaches. Methods used included adopted and adapted social science methods such as interviews, surveys, selection exercises and participantobservation. Due to the complex and unique characteristics of autism it is required that flexibility be built into the studies. A flexible design strategy was therefore used (Robson, 2002), qualities of which being: – Deal primarily with non-numeric data (qualitative strategy). – Try to establish the worth or value of something (e.g. intervention, innovation or service) with a focus on process. – Involve some limited quantitative data collection, intended as a means to ‘sanity-check’ qualitative findings.

11


Theoretical Positioning Qualitative research typically begins with research questions over a hypothesis, as the purpose of such research is to explore phenomenon through theory building rather than theory testing, inductive theory is mainly associated with this approach (Bryman and Teevan, 2005). According to Sim and Wright (2000) exploratory research tends to involve inductive theory, where observation is the start point and sense is made of these observations towards formulating frameworks of understanding (Sim and Wright, 2000). Validity and reliability as defined within quantitative research are often difficult to apply to qualitative approaches; the approximation of truth derived from the conclusions of research (Henn et al., 2006) implies a specific truth, which for the purpose of this study is difficult to suggest, due to the varying nature of the ‘users’ (i.e. people on the autism spectrum), ‘context’ (i.e. differing locations, from home to communal spaces) and indeed the ‘interventions’ (i.e. artworks). Reliability was considered from an internal perspective (Bryman and Teevan, 2005). Internal reliability in this study was provided through more than one researcher’s involvement and agreement upon the findings. The findings of the qualitative research project principally established a set of overarching principles for consideration in artwork selection.

12


Primary Design Research This project commenced with the task of organising the extensive art collection held by Paintings In Hospitals (PIH) into relevant and meaningful categories. This process started by examining existing approaches for cataloging artworks, and adopting any useful methods used. However, as the categorising was intended to be autism-focused it was necessary to draw upon the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design’s (HHCD) existing research and knowledge as to what might be necessary to consider. Organising the art collection into relevant categories of subjects and styles was influenced by the triad of strengths: – Special interests – a topic explored in autism research and used extensively in previous HHCD projects – Sensory preferences (hyper and hypo sensitivities) – a topic explored in autism research and used extensively in previous HHCD projects – Visual perception – a topic explored in autism research and further explored through expert interviews with The Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE). Once the categories were decided upon a selection of artworks was made to adequately convey the subjects and styles for further exploration into preferences (see page 19.) The overall aim of the research was to explore the ways people with autism respond to artworks, investigating whether there might be benefit in installing artworks in a variety of settings, in particular the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre. The research process looked to present representative artworks from the PIH collection in such a way that feedback could be gathered and inform selection. This research intended to generate principles to allow better informed decisions to be made when selecting artworks for environments used by people with autism in the future. In order to gather feedback on the styles and subjects selected, and gain opinions on representative examples from the PIH collection, a three-pronged approach was used simultaneously utilising different methods and mediums (i.e. online survey; booklets; postcards) simultaneously towards identifying consistent principles, in addition to people with autism.

13


Online Survey The first approach was to produce an online survey, it was created in order to reach a variety of stakeholders within the autism world. In particular it garnered feedback from three groups: 1. People with autism 2. Academic and professionals in the field of autism 3. Carers/family of someone with autism Online forums (e.g. Wrong planet; Autism Innovators; Autism Speaks; UK Autism etc.) were approached with a brief description and link to the survey.

Example of centre survey

There were 71 completed surveys. From this the breakdown of respondees was 16 people with autism; 31 academics and professionals in the field of autism; 24 family/carers of someone with autism. The most useful material generated through each method, including the online survey, was the qualitative comment and opinion which was used towards generating principles. However, the quantifiable details were useful as indicators of popularity.

Artworks academics/professionals liked

Artworks people with autism liked

14

Artworks Family/carers liked


Booklets The next approach utilised booklets. The booklets contained the same examples of subjects and styles as the online survey. However, as with any engagement with people on the autism spectrum, flexibility is often crucial, particularly when trying to include those with minimal speech and/or additional learning disabilities. Hence the booklet allowed input to be captured with support from a carer or similar, at a pace and in a place that suited the participants. Booklets were dispatched to ActionSpace; The Hoffman Foundation; Kingwood College and The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre.

Example of booklet

Example of completed booklet

Artworks participants liked

15


Combined Responses from People with Autism The responses from people with autism from the online survey and booklets were then combined to give an overview of how popular the selected artworks were generally proving to be. From this an initial collection of popular and unpopular artworks were proposed, each being supported with a range of comments made by participants.

Artworks people with autism liked

16


Postcard Task Finally to gather insights from the specific context of the study (i.e. The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre) a postcard selection task was set up. As the footfall through the centre is small, the feedback was limited, however, some interesting feedback was gathered and indications of popularity noted. Everyone (those there for assessment, staff members and carers/ parents) that used the centre was encouraged to give input, through simply dropping a postcard into the ‘like‘ or ‘dislike‘ box, and giving any further feedback on the reverse of the card. The numbers from all the feedback are noted in the charts below, and feedback specifically from people there for assessment was folded into the overall principles.

Postcard activity

Completed postcard

17


3. Selection Summary Selection

3. Photographic/Realism

4. Fragmented

6. Optical

7. Tactile

8. Shapes

9. Polychrome

10. Technical/Detailed

11. Sculpture

12. Everyday Life

13. Flowers and Plants

14. People

15. Sea and Sky

16. Abstract

1. Animals

2. Countryside

5. Buildings

17. Cartoons/Comics

18

18. Impressionist

19. Minimal


20. Pattern/Repetition

21. Monochrome

1. Animals Title: White Elephants Artist: Tissa Abeyasinghe Quotes of interest:

“I don’t mind art that

General response: The participants were attracted to the bright colours and different shades of green. Nature was a well-received subject and the elephants particularly popular. The bright, block colour and bold shapes made some viewers observe a clear distinction between the elephants and the background, and consider both in different ways. The elephants made people feel happy, they looked ‘cute’ and presented an engaging narrative. One participant went as far as to connect them to their relationship with their own children. Some participants also gravitated towards the background of the artwork, the accurate detail and patterns of the leaves – one person’s particular favourite was the colour of the leaves on the top left corner of the artwork with their little yellow dots. Further thoughts: This artwork presents a lot of options for the audience, due to its crisp, clear and vivid style. The participants may be able to enjoy it as a whole and create a narrative around the artwork or just focus on the elephants, or enjoy the details in the background.

19


begs interpretation, but excites the mind, rather than having any calming effect. If you have people in an environment where they may already feel anxious or agitated, I’m not sure visual puzzles or warmer colours are good, If things have a foreground, middle ground and background, is this too much? Is it good if the painting separated the subject matter with space around itm and plain backgroundm so there is not too much visual noise behind?”

“I like the way the

animals match into the background and it’s bright and stands out.

“The elephants made me happy, the scenery makes me calm.”

Qualities people noted: Calming; soothing; relaxing; happy; warm and inviting; ‘makes me smile’

2. Countryside Title: Evening in a Hayfield Artist: Piers Browne Quotes of interest:

“I like seeing countryside, sea and sky when I am indoors so that I can remember what it’s like being out in the open air.”

“Nature allows my mind to grow bigger and relax.”

“I find that thinking about the countryside reduces my stress.”

General response: There was a largely positive response to this artwork, which appeared to have a calming and relaxing effect. One person mentioned how it made their ‘head go big’, and the artwork triggered several people into imagining being there and equating it to pleasant experiences, (e.g. fresh air, cycling, walking and having a picnic). A criticism of the artwork was that there was nothing to see in the distance, there was no focal point. Further thoughts: This subject and style of this artwork might work well in small enclosed spaces. This artwork is not a visually loud piece, which may help a person to relax and focus on what is happening in the space, rather than being too distracted by the artwork. The main critique of this artwork was that it was too empty with no focal point and nothing to see in the distance. With this in mind it would be beneficial to select landscape scenes that have some sort of focal point (e.g. a building or tree in the distance). Interestingly there was no mention of colour, which may be indicitive of the blending style presented in this artwork, which may have contributed to a sense of calm.

20 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People

“Scenes are more

interesting than mere faces, and when landscapes are used they should not be empty land. A lighthouse on a beach, a cabin on a mountain.” Qualities people noted: Peaceful; relaxed; stressreducing; soothing; pleasant; ‘lets your head go big’

3. Photographic Realism N.B: Not in the collection Quotes of interest:

“I think it would be okay

to add a few portraits to the mix, but make sure they aren’t facing directly out of their pictures. That would be ... pretty creepy. Something undefined would be nice like a person off in the background instead of being the main centre of attention.”

This image, although not a PIH piece, was included to gauge response to a realistically depicted face, in non-classic portraiture style. General response: The participants appeared to like this artwork mainly because it is realistic. A photograph requires less thought processing from the viewer in comparison to an abstract piece of art, possibly making it more relaxing and familiar to be around. Some participants did not like the artwork because of the facial expression and difficulty in knowing whether the person is happy or angry. One person commented that they liked the black and white effect. Further thoughts: This artwork revealed that the realist nature of a photograph would be an interesting medium to consider for the selection process (N:B: not just of people but other subjects also). Potentially black and white photographs may work better for a person who enjoys looking at details, as colour could be a distraction. There were mixed comments with regards to people as subjects of an artwork, but the quote (on the right) is interesting and emphasises the importance of the angle of the face so that they are not directly looking out at the audience. Interestingly in response to an artwork that showed a group of people playing rugby a participant said: ‘Images of large groups doing things I don’t relate with. You don’t want art making autistics feel more excluded.’ In light of this it is important to be mindful of artworks that depict activities relating to a neurotypical culture.

21


“I prefer a photograph.

I don’t know whether he is crying or just about to laugh or sneezing, so for me it suggests things because of my non reading of faces, but I like the way he is not looking at me in the eye I don’t mind that photograph at all, but it puzzles the nuts out of me.”

“I don’t know what his

face is doing but he looks very, very angry, so I don’t like this piece.”

“I like photographs

because they are realistic.” Qualities people noted: Creepy; realistic

4. Fragmented Title: Peckwater Christchurch Artist: Brendan Neiland Quotes of interest:

“I really like this it is very interesting, all the little parts distorted in some way. it makes me think of space and time.”

“I like this for the

different angles of the same landscape.” Qualities people noted: Original; interesting; engaging

“I had always known that the world was fragmented. My mother was a smell and a texture, my father was a tone, and my older brother was something which was moving about.” Williams (1992) p.11 General response: The participants found the fragmented and distorted differences in this artwork interesting and liked seeing different angles and perspectives of the same landscape. The collection of surreal viewpoints of one landscape made one participant want to visit the place. Further thoughts: If a person with autism has difficulties perceiving things as a whole and tends to break things down into separate components, it might be advantageous to select artworks that have already organised or separated the visual information. This might make it easer for a person to focus on and attend to the image(s).

22


5. Buildings Title: Untitled Artist: Peter Gauld Quotes of interest:

“The pictures should be complete, but still clean, not chaotic.”

“The use of so little

colour means there is not too much detail and it doesn’t shout at you. You can then allow your eyes to pick out the architectural detail the artist has used.”

“I like realistically drawn General response: This artwork received a lot of likes mainly because it was realistically drawn and was technical with lots of detail. One participant commented: ‘the more exact the better’. This artwork exposed a good example of how a participant may not be interested in the whole scene, but instead, a small detail that related to a specific interest of theirs; ‘I like weather vanes so the only thing I particularly like about this piece is the weather vane on the first house on the left hand side.’ Further thoughts: The main critique of this artwork was associated with the dull colour, but interesting when there is a lot fewer colours it allowed the viewer to better pick out the details. It could be interesting to test more technical/ detailed artworks with more colour, but the monochrome nature had several positive responses. It will be important to be mindful of artworks that look unfinished or incomplete, and how this will impact peoples responses. “It looks like someone started adding colour and after finishing the doors forgot to fill the rest of the piece in.”

23


art, with lots of detail, technical etc. To me, the more exact the better.”

Qualities people noted: Dull colour; realistic

6. Optical Title: Sunset III Artist: Barbara Webb Quotes of interest:

“I really like the 3D effect and you can’t tell if you are looking up through the ceiling at clouds or through a sort of wall at hills…”

“... it could be a puzzle

piece or something flat with lots of shiny reflective bumpy bits. It makes me want to know what it is.”

“Good for resting my

“

eyes on.”

General response: A lot of the participants liked this artwork, the 3D effect encouraged people to be inquisitive about the perspective being depicted. Further thoughts: Although this artwork received a lot of ‘likes’ it also prompted some negative responses. Hence, with optical artworks it is important that they are carefully positioned in a place where a person can make the choice to look at it or otherwise. The optical 3D effect may have a powerful impact on people who have difficulty with vestibulation and proprioception and create a sense of dizziness or disorientation. Be mindful of positioning artworks of this nature in areas with lots of activity (e.g. busy areas; thoroughfares; by doorways or staircases etc.) as this might create unpredictable visual effects which may heighten negative experiences. The three-dimensional nature of an optical artwork may also entice a person to touch and interact with it, so the artwork selected must allow for this.


I love the centre panel, good use of layers that fits well with sun gazing down on the hilltops.” Qualities people noted: Difficult; confusing; weird

7. Tactile Title: Untitled Artist: Lubna Chowdhary Quotes of interest:

“Don’t like the colours or the patterns.”

“I think tactile art and pattern pieces would be great for an autism centre.”

General response: This tactile artwork received a lot of ‘likes’, if a person is hypo-sensitive to touch it is important that artworks can be touched and provide an interesting tactile experience for the individual. In this category we explicitly described the artwork as tactile, hence people responded to the notion of tactility; however, many of the comments related to the visual qualities (an obvious limitation of two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional pieces), therefore it is difficult to gauge response to the specific tactile qualities of this artwork. Further thoughts: If a person is hypo-sensitive to touch, they may enjoy touching things around them, therefore they may enjoy paintings that use thick paints and other materials (e.g. ribbon, metal, wood, lace, leather etc.). Instead of looking at an art piece a person may gain more satisfaction exploring artworks through touch, for example following the paint strokes and lines of colour with their finger. In some cases the frames might be more inviting than the artworks themselves. This is a visually busy tactile artwork, therefore if a person does not like it visually they will be less inclined to touch it. A tactile artwork with more subdued visual content would help shift focus to how it feels. The autism centre will, most likely, encounter people that are hyper-sensitive and/or hypo-sensitive to touch, therefore it is important that tactile art does not impose itself onto a person but instead is positioned in a space where a person can make the decision to touch it or not.

25


“I like aesthetic patterns, they don’t have to be repeating, just pleasing to the eye and in harmony with the surroundings.”

“Great for people that

have sensory problems.” Qualities people noted: Pleasing to the eye

8. Shapes Title: Val D’Elsa II Artist: Mary Webb Quotes of interest:

“Abstract can work well

because people can look and think what they like. No one is right or wrong.”

“The blue square looks

out of place, it makes me want to move it to the right and put it where it should be.” Qualities people noted: Simple; effective; boring

General response: This artwork received a lot of likes, but very limited detailed response. One person described how the thick black lines are ‘a little out there’. Further thoughts: Symmetry, balance and order are qualities to look for in artworks to assist a start and finish. It would be interesting to select a similar artwork, however, more symmetrical so that the shapes (squares) are more ordered to gauge the response.

26


9. Polychrome Title: Untitled Artist: Edward Dutkiewicz Quotes of interest:

“Interesting use of colours.”

“I like the pattern, shape and repetition.”

“Good for resting my eyes on.”

“I like bright colours.” Qualities people noted: Warm; bright; messy; soft

General response: The participants responded positively to the bright colours and the soft coloured lines. Further thoughts: One person felt it looked chaotic and messy. It would be interesting to have a similar artwork but where the shape, colour and pattern is more predictable and consistent. When using lots of bright colours it is important to be mindful of people who are hyper-sensitive, they may find the colour too overstimulating. It might be best to position artworks such as this in a place where people will pass by it, rather than impose on someone, such as those sitting in a space for a prolonged length of time. Additional information on: An autistic person may experience echolalia, (the repetition of words and sounds) and enjoy engaging in activities which involve repetition. Artworks that depict shapes, colours and lines which repeat might offer comfort and reassurance for an autistic person. This offers ‘sameness’, allowing them to identity pattern and make sense of it, which can be reassuring because the person knows what to expect next.

27


10. Technical and Detailed Title: Toys Artist: Chris Orr Quotes of interest:

“I like detailed drawings

because I can spend a long time looking at them if I am kept waiting.”

“Something to engage

with my pattern-seeking mind is always restful. Like mental knitting, sewing etc.”

“I look for pictures that General response: This artwork clearly demonstrated that many participants enjoyed looking at it because of the detail, which allowed people to spend a lot of time looking at it and discovering new things. Further thoughts: A person looking at this artwork may require time and space, therefore to enable them to comfortably explore this artwork over a period of time, it would be best to install this artwork somewhere that has enough space around it. It might be important to avoid narrow hallways or busy corridors, where a person looking at the artwork may block the pathway. It would be preferable to position this type of artwork somewhere fairly quiet so the person can focus and engage with the artwork without too much distraction.

have something interesting to offer, pictures you can look at for several minutes and still discover new details.”

“I like diagrams in

technical and repair manuals.”

“Busy things can cause

distraction and anxiety.”

“I like finding order in

the chaos that the artist presents.” Qualities people noted: Interesting; confusing; fun; groovy; cool

28


11. Sculpture Title: Indian Leaf Artist: Felicity Aylieff Quotes of interest:

“A nice photo of a shell. It reminds me of the seaside and happy places.”

“I like all the leaves on

the ground and it makes me want to know what the number 13345 means.”

“I think you should General response: The artwork received lots of positive comments, participants highlighted that the shape of the sculpture triggered memories and encouraged them to imagine what the shape looked like or could be. Participants commented on how they would like to touch and hug the sculpture and that the physical interaction with a three-dimensional sculpture might help to make people ‘think better’ rather than a twodimensional picture. Further thoughts: The image of the sculpture revealed some interesting insights. The sculpture may have been the intended subject of the image, but many participants were more interested in the leaves around the sculpture and the number on the piece of paper in front of it. Because there was no understanding and logic behind the number this became a point of interest, where did the number come from, and what did it mean? Different sculptures prompt different types of interactions, for one participant the shape of this sculpture made him want to hug it. Therefore sculptures can be chosen to compliment a person’s way of moving and interacting. To avoid distraction from sculpture, it is best that it is positioned with a clear space around them – even a plaque might be a distraction.


definitely include sculpture. I would like to touch it. I love the qualities of pieces of stone and glass. I really like that and it’s a very huggable shape.”

“I think children like

challenging sculptures, makes them think better than a picture would.”

“I like the fact its got

a number because you can think why has it got a number, However that can cause anxiety to people so you need to make sure that is on the plaque.”

“I like that looks like a

stone but it kind of looks like a log as well. It the same time it looks like a pasta and it has got dots on it.” Qualities people noted: Quite boring; calming; beautiful autumn colours; huggable

12. Everyday Life Title: Hat Artist: Chloe Cheese Quotes of interest:

“I like the table and chair, it makes me want to know what’s inside and the little box and why those things are on the chair.”

“The typical ‘a bowl

with a banana and an apple‘ painting. I don’t like it, I can’t explain why? Maybe its causes hunger and then I am frustrated that I have nothing to eat, but I can’t tell.”

“A bit too abstract and General response: This artwork was not very popular. The main focus was on the objects on the table and chair, One participant felt frustrated, as there was a box but no way of knowing what was inside. For another participant the objects were in the way of the chair and they felt the chair was more important than the objects on it. Further thoughts: With still life paintings it is important to look at how the objects are arranged. Some people might like things to be neat and tidy and organised in specific ways, therefore a still life of randomly placed objects might look messy and out of place. If it is an object that they also own, they might think why is their object in the painting and how did it get there? A person who enjoys lining things up might like a still life of objects that are very much in line and organised. Select still life with space around the objects so it does not look too messy and cluttered (e.g. a chair with no objects or people sitting on it.)


not very engaging.”

“I think the objects on

the chair spoil the chair, Sometimes the chair is more alive than the person sitting in it.” Qualities people noted: Too abstract; I don’t like it

13. Flowers and Plants Title: Daffodils Artist: David Koster Quotes of interest:

“I don’t like the colours

together, I can’t tell if they are growing in soil, whether it is day or night or why they are there.”

“Feel flowers brighten up things and make a house look nice too.”

“Why is the top half of the painting blue?”

“That’s nice, it’s almost General response: The impressionist style of this painting of flowers, the choice of colour and varied colour palette appeared to cause confusion about the subject and context of the painting. However lsome participants liked the colours and described the flowers as talkingl and considered it an image that could be enjoyed universally amongst autistic people and their caregivers. Further thoughts: Select artworks where the colours explicitly relate to the actual subject matter with a clear distinction between colours. One participants comment was the word ‘watering’; therefore it might be worth considering the possible associations a person may have with the subject of the artwork.

like an engraved print. I like that it’s nice, it’s very detailed it’s very buzzy, the daffodils are talking and the colours are nice too, It’s restful in a way. If it was in the big waiting room or a corridor, as a person with autism I wouldn’t be disturbed to walk past it or sit in front of it. It’s a nice good painting and I could see its appeal to my mum or my dad while waiting too, it wouldn’t cause me the slightest bit of bother.” Qualities people noted: Pretty; cheerful; makes me smile; bright; buzzy; restful

31


14. People Title: Rugby Match Artist: Aubrey Sykes Quotes of interest:

“Style is good but I don’t like the subject.”

“It sounds noisy and they

General response: This artwork received substantial criticism. Participants could not read or understand facial expressions and the majority of the response were concerned with the subject matter or preoccupied with the background, which was considered ‘fuzzy’. The subject of ‘rugby’ received a lot of negative response, it was perceived as being aggressive, noisy and a dislike for people touching each other was expressed multiple times. A lot of participants could not relate to rugby, it is something they would not choose to do and one person said it makes them feel excluded. Further thoughts: As a participant suggested it might be best that if an artwork features people that they are not the main focal point and directly facing out. To help a person understand the facial expression or emotion of a person in a painting, make sure the person is situated within a clear context. Understanding where a person is and what they are doing will provide clues about their facial expression. It is also important to be sensitive about the choice of context, something a person can associate with. For example activities that involve teams and interaction might be inappropriate for some autistic people who find social interaction difficult.

32


are all touching each other, which makes me feel sick. Also, I can’t tell if those are people in the background, but if neither team has any supporters, as no one is a fan wearing their teams uniform. If these teams have no fans they are not very good teams. I don’t like the idea of doing this sport.”

“I like watching sport

and it is nice to see people doing team work in the picture.” Qualities people noted: Can’t relate; creepy; angry; noisy; violent; weird; negative associations

15. Sea and Sky Title: Camus non Craell Artist: Donald Wilkinson Quotes of interest:

“Someone with a fear of

water will not want to sit next to a beach scene. For people without Autism they can ignore it but Autistic’s can focus and even over-focus.”

“That’s very calming.

General response: The subject matter of this artwork received positive feedback, many participants described positive associations with water, the seaside, sand and sea breeze. However, if a person has a negative association with water, an artwork featuring the sea, a lake, a river or similar. might be something they would not choose to look at or sit next to. The participants described the colour palette, as being dingy and bleak and the composition as boring, lacking detail and with no focal point. Further thoughts: It is important to understand whether a person would have positive or negative associations to the subject matter of an artwork. Consider how complete the subject or story within the artwork is, something incomplete or unexplained may cause frustration. Select artworks with a focal point(s) so a person can rest their eyes on it.

It’s quite lonely isn’t it. That sea is painted very well that’s almost like a photograph. This is a bit boring and bit depressing. You could have a photo of water.”

“My feeling is that a lot

of autistics just wouldn’t read it as a landscape they would see it as a grey drip or something.”

“

I often like images with water as part of the image; it adds movement and life to many works.” Qualities people noted: Nice; ‘let’s your head go big’; dingy; calming; soothing; bleak; not enough detail; lovely; relaxing

33


16. Abstract Title: Untitled Artist: Paul Crackwell Quotes of interest:

“Abstract is by far my

favourite. I don’t really have a reason why, it just is. I like finding order in the chaos that the artist presents.”

“Oh wow! I like those

they are nice and a sense of movement to them which is not overpowering or overwhelming. They flow you backwards and forwards between the two.”

General response: This artwork received mixed response, participants found it boring, or could not find a story or meaning to it, or found it puzzling generally Some participants enjoyed the challenge of searching for order in the chaos, and as the artwork is open to interpretation a person has the freedom to bring their own meaning.


“Be mindful of shapes

where it is hard to find a start or an end to them.” Qualities people noted: Not enough detail; boring; too abstract; lost in translation; boring

17. Cartoons and Comics Title: Untitled Artist: Rosie Brooks Quotes of interest:

“I don’t understand how

this cartoon works, He looks like he wants to go in a rocket, so he does, and he wears a space suit all the time in the rocket, he changes seats a few times and then wants to see the moon, so he does. That’s all quite boring.”

“I’m not really into cartoons.”

General response: This artwork received a positive response with regards to the style, however, participants found the narrative within the artwork boring. Further thoughts: The responses illustrated how it is important to consider the narrative within an artwork. Although a person may like the comic style they might attempt to follow the narrative of the artwork, which also needs to be of interest to them. A person with autism may be interested in cartoons but not all styles of the medium, and it is also important to consider ageappropriateness.

“It’s quite engaging

really. It’s friendly enough to make people welcome and I am not considering how it’s drawn, the colours or the subject, its about fitting it in with a certain situation I guess. It’s got a narrative to it, but not sure about this picture, it’s almost a puzzle because it’s taken out of a sequence.’

“I’m not really into

cartoons. Great drawing style and funny.” Qualities people noted: Funny; engaging; makes sense; friendly

35


18. Impressionist Title: Poppies and the Sea Artist: Jean Cooke Quotes of interest:

“Lovely painting of a

poppy fieldm and it is great respect for the soldiers who have fought in wars for us and risked their lives.

“I don’t think you can

beat nature for beauty. As an autistic person it is calming with a natural theme.

General response: The painting of a poppy field created confusion for some participants. As it was impressionist over realistic, participants did not immediately grasp the subject matter. Participants found it too random with not enough detail; one participant focused and became distracted by a small detail in the centre of the image (i.e. a brown mark) and wanted to know what it was. Some participants remarked on the beauty and calming qualities of nature. Further thoughts: An impressionist style falls between abstract and realistic, which may cause frustration for a person if they cannot interpret it.

“A beautiful use of red. Wild poppies, lovely.”

“Needs more shading

and detail on the flowers. I can’t understand what this piece is about, maybe its finger painting.”

“Too random and not realistic enough.”

“This is probably the picture I like least so far. The style falls into two camps it’s not abstract enough for it to be abstract and it’s not realistic enough to be realistic. The brown bit looks like a dead beetle.”

Qualities people noted: Confusing; lovely; random; beautiful; calming; strange; can’t understand 36 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People

19. Minimal Title: Anatoli Artist: Helen Chadwick Quotes of interest:

“I liked the idea of

imagining something exciting, what a good thought to have. The yellow stuck out.”

“I find that with my son

and others that I know that too much pattern and too many colours can over stimulate them and lead to sensory problems.”

General response: Participants made several different associations and interpretations of this artworkm such as deserts, faces and the sun. Some people felt there was not enough detail, and one participant found the yellow within the painting very noisy. The colour yellow within the artwork received mixed responses, some participants felt it lacked colour but a parent reported that too many colours and patterns can lead to sensory difficulties. “Interesting but unfinished but I don’t like the yellow. The yellow is noisy from my point of view, if I was a child and walked into the room I would have been frightened and I wouldn’t have known why, but that’s me.”

“It makes me think of a

desert and its so hot that everything gets distorted like a mirage.”

“Typical ‘Durer’ pictures

are something I like, as he often only shows one detail but because of his pencil technique, you can see the detail and how he created it. I can spend hours watching his pictures and analysing what he painted, even if its only a rabbit picture.”

“Wanted more colour. It’s not mentally challenging. Colourful but not too bright.”

Qualities people noted: Happy; sparse; noisy

37


20. Pattern and Repitition Title: Steps and Ladders Artist: Hynes Quotes of interest:

“Good for resting my

eyes on. I like the pattern, shape and repetition and the way it leaps out of paper.”

“I very much like this art

and it has been very neatly drawn.”

“Boring I prefer realistic things.”

“That’s good, that’s got General response: This artwork received little response. Participant’s liked this artwork because it was a neat repetitive pattern with a 3D effect. The main critique was the abstract nature of the subject matter, one person found it boring.

a narrative, it’s got a story. That yellow is fine because it feels like gold, Even though I don’t like yellow. In my head it’s not a code so every yellow gives me the same experience, so it’s not something overlaid like that. It’s also to do with the context and personality of the yellow. I know that sounds very strange but its about the personality. I like that a lot.” Qualities people noted: Neat; boring; calming

38


21. Monochrome Title: Circular Artist: Fabian Peake Quotes of interest:

“Reminds me of UFO

grass markings. I like soft colours.”

“I like it but it’s making my eyes go funny.”

“For the most part General response: Participants liked the symmetrical nature of this artwork and the tones were reported to be relaxing, however, some people would have preferred more colours. “You shouldn’t loose it. I have got a gut feeling about this one it’s good, I think you will be surprised by this one. Its complicated but it makes me calm and there’s a depth to it so I think you might be surprised.”

the more toned down and relaxed it looks, the more suitable it will be for an Aspie-friendly environment. “

“What I like about it is

almost the transparent hidden bits about it the three or four sticks that are just traces. There’s a lot of movement in it. I would sit and count.”

“It would take me over

to look into it, and I feel it’s complete. It’s not distracting me. I don’t have to worry about the mystery of it, I don’t have to worry about investigating it because I feel comfortable with it, because it’s on my wavelength.”

Qualities people noted: Simplistic; symmetrical; complete; motion; relaxing


4. Artwork Principles The following principles were drawn from autistic participants responses to the presented collection of artworks in addition to expert interviews. The diverse nature of autism as a spectrum condition makes it impossible to create a generic set of design principles. It is important to note that the principles described are not prescriptive, but instead intend to communicate experiences and broad themes to stimulate thought and discussion about how autistic experience and perceive artworks, as well as to context specific considerations. A goal of this project was to gather qualitative information from a broad spectrum of people with autism, and to use this towards developing guiding principles that could be considered in future selection processes. These principles were drawn from data collected through a series of engagements used to generate opinion and responses to an initial selection of artworks representing a range of subjects and styles. The derived principles were further developed and classified through a series of expert interviews.

1. Special Interests

10. Distorted/Fragmented

2. Detailed

11. Sound

3. Balance/Symmetry

12. Tactile

4. Pattern/Repetition/Order

13. Foreground/Middleground/

5. Counting/Systemising

Background

6. Colour

14. Context

7. Narrative

15. People

8. Associations

16. Motion

9. Realistic/Technical

17. Abstract


1. Special Interests A person may like and connect with an artwork because it relates to their interests. Someone who likes Thomas the Tank Engine might enjoy an artwork with trains, a person who enjoys watching cartoons might like pop art, a person who likes to spin objects might enjoy an artwork that features windmills and swirling patterns. Therefore, pairing the subject and/or style of an artwork to a person’s interests can be a good way to select artworks to enhance the potential that a person might positively engage with it. Trains:

“If I was going to a diagnostic centre now and if I was say 12, I think I would really like to look at a picture of Clapham Junction train station at birds eye-view, sort of slanted so you can see the trains but you can also see the tracks and they sprawl out. I would love that. It’s a system and trains just don’t do what they feel like, they go on rails and the rails have to be organised so it’s a very organised image. But then trains go places and have different colours and I think trains are exciting but not everyone would think that.”

Bunkers:

“I am drawn to bunkers and those sorts of shapes and these little windows elicit that very similar reaction it’s very interesting and very nice.”

Weather Vanes:

“I like weather vanes so the only thing I particularly like about this piece is the weather vane on the first house on the left hand side.”

41

Artworks that relate to a person’s interests may initiate communication, joint attention and provide a positive distraction from waiting for an appointment, which may help a person to relax and potentially minimise anxiety. Below are some examples of how participants connected artworks with their interests:

Spinning Objects:

“This one reminds me of a spinning top, its got that feeling of motion in the circular bit and I wonder whether some people with autism who like watching spinning things or something might be drawn to that picture because you do actually get that sense of motion.”

Vehicles:

“This one’s got a lot going on in it. I reckon they might quite like this one because some people with autism really like vehicles and that kind of thing and there’s quite a lot to keep you entertained looking at the picture. It’s got a lot of different things going on, different vehicles.”

Cartoons:

“My taste in art tends to reflect my interests in certain subject matter. I am less picky about artistic styles, but I probably gravitate towards comic book and western animation/ cartoon styles more.”


2. Detailed Detailed and technically drawn artworks were very popular with some of the participants. Rather than perceiving and conceptualising the whole composition, several participants were preoccupied with the detail of an artwork, the technical quality and skill of how it was composed. It is important to consider that a person may need time to process and explore detailed artwork, looking for patterns within the detail, which was described to be restful and calming. However, for some too much detail can be difficult to process,

particularly if they have a short attention span and are hypersensitive to visual stimuli. The density of detail within a composition needs careful consideration for each person, it might be that one person enjoys an artwork rich in detail versus someone who prefers no detail or one detailed element on a plain background. The findings suggest that it is best that detailed artworks are limited in colours, that way a person can concentrate on the detail without being distracted by additional visual information.

“This is nice, I like the elephants. Some people on the spectrum will like that because it has got a lot of detail. You could count the leaves for each plant, and division of leaves, and it has calm colours, not too many different colours but there is a lot of detail in it.”

“I like it that you can keep looking and looking and see different things.” “I like detailed drawings because I can spend a long time looking at them if I am kept waiting for a long time.” “I look for pictures that have something interesting to offer, pictures you can look at for several minutes and still discover new details, not something you look at once.” “If I was in a hospital waiting room, waiting to see someone, I would be looking at that, and that would make me forget why I was there, which is good.”

“It’s similar to drawings I used to do. I like the brickwork detail.” “Typical ‘Durer’ pictures are something I like, as he often only shows one detail but because of his pencil-technique, you can see so well the detail and how he created it, so I can spend hours looking at his pictures and analysing what he painted, even if its only a rabbit picture.”

The artworks below were described as not having enough detail:

“Sun too sparse and not enough detail.“

“Poppies needs more shading and detail in the flowers.“

“Sky and sea looks bleak and not enough detail.“


“Not enough detail, too abstract, not my thing.“

3. Balance / Symmetry For some participants it was important that the elements within the composition of an artwork are balanced and symmetrical, otherwise it was considered too chaotic. To illustrate this some participants were frustrated with artworks composed of geometric shapes that were

“The orange one at the bottom and the pink are not in line.” “Rectangles are going to appeal to someone’s sense of order but not sure if it’s even enough.”

“It looks like someone started adding colour and after finishing the doors forgot to finish the rest of the piece.”

uneven, did not line up or were incomplete with no beginning or end. Participants also tended to prefer artworks whose style was consistent and did not change, if a style had changed within a composition it was often pointed out as looking out of sync or imbalanced.

“Shows symmetrically drawn circle with circular lines in. The squares included with the circle are all symmetric and unfortunately as soon as the circular lines and squares are shaded it looses its pattern and fades from the top right to the bottom left.” “With each square there is an instability, which might not appeal.”

“Be mindful of shapes where it is hard to find a start or end to them.” “That square is not even, not sure what it is, it’s a shape with 5 sides.” “Why is that one twisted around when all the other three are straight. The blue square looks out of place I just want to move it back to where it should be.”

“It’s that bit there that annoys me (the bridge) its not as naively drawn as the rest of it, that bit just looks false and doesn’t fit.”

“I like that it draws my interest and I would sit and watch that, sit and look at that. I could be there but the movement is very symmetrical, the movement is not chaotic, this is very patterned and thought about even though the spaces aren’t the same. It’s not perfectly symmetrical and therefore not the perfect symmetry that I like.


4. Pattern/Repetition/Order An autistic person can have difficulty in responding to certain scenarios with managing transitions and dealing with change, they may demonstrate repetitive behaviours such as hand flapping, and require structure, consistency and predictability within their everyday life. Artworks that involve repeated patterns, shapes and details proved to be popular. This might be because it appeals to an individuals sense of order, and the repetitive nature of the artwork creates a sense of predictability and reassurance, enabling anticipation of what will happen next. Many participants enjoyed seeking patterns and were able to recognise patterns within detailed compositions.

“Chaotic and messy, so I don’t like it.” “The pictures should be complete but still clean, not chaotic.” “Busy things can cause distraction, but also anxiety.”

“The lines are a bit haphazard and not very ordered.” “I like that one. It gets my approval. I can see though how other people might not, because like that orange one, at the bottom and the pink one they are not in line and people might find that annoying but I like the colours and the fact that it’s organised.”

The organisation and structure of different elements within an artwork was an important consideration, there was a preference for artworks where composition was ordered and structured rather than messy and disordered. An artwork with structure and order may also help a person (particularly those that are hyper-sensitive) to make sense of it. Many participants disliked the disordered and more chaotic artworks. However, one person remarked on how he enjoys finding order in the chaos that an artwork might present.

“ It would certainly occupy me for quite a while. The best way that I can describe this is if you’ve got a history book about the first world war or whatever, and tore all the pages out and jumbled them up and gave them to someone to read that’s how it makes me feel. So the narrative is very jumbled but that’s not a bad thing and it’s got a dream like quality to it, it’s like one of my dreams actually.” “Even I can’t tell what’s going on. It’s a jumble and everything is different sizes, but some really seem to like to look at really fine thingsm but I’m not sure that these are as organised as something like a Turkish carpet. Something like that would fascinate and be looked at for hours, but I’m not sure, this might be a bit too chaotic for some, but anyway they would love the detail in that.”


5. Counting/Systemising Organising, counting and systemising can be a popular interest for autistic people. Objects such as books, clothes and toys are often lined up and sorted in a variety of ways, The process of putting things in formation can calm and relax, through introducing serenity, control and empowerment to what can seem an unpredictable surrounding. Several participants enjoyed artworks composed

of repeated elements, which they would then start to count and systemise (e.g. leaves and bricks). Therefore, artworks with uninterrupted and/ or repeated elements (e.g. colours, shapes and textures) that a person can count and systemise is an important consideration.

“It’s the every brick and every tile that appeals to me. I would want to count them, it’s complicated but makes me calm.”

“There is something restful about it and I am starting to count the squares.”

“The sticks that are just traces. There’s obviously a lot of movement in it the rotational bit, but I like these too (squares). I would sit and count.”

“You could count the leaves for each plant and division of leaves, and it’s quite calm colours, not too many different colours, but there is a lot of detail in it.”

“This is the best part of it for me – the water, I could sit on a beach and watch the water run all day, by a stream. I would systemise it, but there would be differences within each movement, each wave is different, but just looking at the difference I find that incredibly peaceful and incredibly calming.”


6. Colour A person can be hyper and/or hypo-sensitive to colours, which might affect their everyday life in terms of what a person might for example choose to eat and wear. There is a huge potential for visual expression within art. Colour, composition, form and light all interact to create a range of moods. Care should be taken to select and use colour in a way that creates an inviting but not overstimulating experience. Although the research did not reveal any patterns and correlations between specific colours the participants liked or disliked, an important insight was that a person might experience colour with a greater intensity. Colour can communicate different things to different people and many participants remarked on the colours within an artwork when they felt an inappropriate colour was

“It’s certainly not drab colours that are muted which is quite nice, I’m particularly drawn to the pink. Its not shouting out to me in an offensive way, and I expect someone who likes nicer brighter colours, it would suit them, it wouldn’t suit me though. So from a personal point of view its nicely balanced I like the spaces, its got movement to it and its got a song to it, I can hear it and I hear this bit (yellow) but the yellow is giving me a headache.”

used within the wrong context, as well as when there were too many colours, too little colour and/ or too many changes in colour. The colours yellow and red were disliked by some participants with one suggestion being that red can be an angry colour if a person thinks by association. It is important to consider that even though a person may not like the colour red or yellow, for example this does not mean they will dislike all shades of the colour as one participant explained: “Even though I don’t like yellow, in my head, it’s not a code so every yellow gives me the same experience, so it’s not something overlaid like that. It’s also to do with the context and personality of the yellow.”

“There is a lot of green in it so if you stared at it for too long you might feel sick.” “Why is the top half of the painting blue? I don’t like the colours together, I can’t tell if they are growing in soil, whether it is day or night, or why they are there.”

“I like all the colours and different shades of green, I like all the leaves. My favourite is the top left leaves on the tree I like their colour with the little yellow dots on.”

Artworks reported to lack colour:


7. Narrative Artworks may communicate stories and events contained within a single image. The research revealed that if the composition and narrative of the artwork is clear, simple and unambiguous,

“Wow, there’s a story that isn’t there, you could think and make up a story... this isn’t offensive by any means, its got life to it, its got a story to it and that story isn’t heavily loaded. It’s quite a gentle and easy story and it’s something to look at. I could sit there and quite happily not talk to people and make that story up in my head.” “I like the elephants, but I like elephants so I am biased. But I do like elephants and they seem like they are happy. There’s three of them and one of the things you could do if you were waiting with a kid with Aspergers, you could make up a story about the three elephants.”

“I like this artwork, it is interesting and I noticed that this station is Wolverton and I like the history of Wolverton and how it reinvented itself as a railway town in the industrial revolution.”

“You might be confused about the narrative, so may need to see the title more clearly. Can’t tell what’s going on and everything is in different sizes.”

it can encourage some participants to create or imagine a story of their own and/or even trigger memories of past experiences. In some cases participants perceived and experienced the narrative of the artwork quite literally, and considered it real. Therefore, it is important to consider how a person might respond to a particular subject matter within an artwork. For example if a person has an obsession with food it might be best to avoid artworks depicting food or drink, similarly if a person is afraid of water it might be best to avoid artworks featuring water.

“Need to be careful, I like animals but for some the ability to imagine what they see in the image being real can be overloading.”

“The typical ’a bowl with a banana and an apple’ paintings I don’t like, I can’t explain why. Maybe it causes hunger and then I am frustrated that I have nothing to eat.”

I am intrigued by that splash. I want to know what’s happened so it makes a story in my head, and I can imagine in a right situation it would look nice on the wall, but other than that it’s pretty neutral.” “Someone with a fear of water will not want to sit next to a beach scene.”

47


7. Narrative (continued) Another positive observation from the study was the potential for an artwork with a narrative to be a great point of contact and way to trigger verbal and/or non-verbal communication and dialogue.

“It would take me over to look into it, but you are talking to me now and it’s there and I feel it’s complete. It’s not distracting me, not like the ones I have told you about before that move and distract, this doesn’t distract me, it’s there its solid, its perfect, it’s complete. So I don’t have to worry about that, I don’t have to worry about the mystery of it, I don’t have to worry about investigating it, because I feel comfortable with it, because its on my wavelength. I will look at it to find out more about it, yes, but its not like that one (poppies) where I’m trying to work it out and its not giving me what I need to tell me how to work it out, so it’s different in that respect, but it would occupy me for along time.”

“If I was a kid it would make me want to think and look at it and tell the story of who’s getting off the train at that point.”

It is important that the narrative is visually clear and easy to follow and not heavily loaded but gentle. The subject matter of an artwork must be appropriate for the person, so for autistic people who have difficulty with social interaction, avoid artworks that illustrate social events and situations that a person may dislike and unable to relate to.

“I don’t think I have got very much to say about this one I really don’t like it. I find the faces very hard to read he just looks bemused, it just makes me feel bemused and it wouldn’t help me in any way to think about my experiences with faces.” “It sounds noisy and they are all touching each other, which makes me feel sick. Also I can’t tell if those are people in the background, but if they are, neither team has any supporters as no one is a fan wearing their teams uniform, and if these teams have no fans they are not very good teams. I generally don’t like the idea of ever doing this sport.” “Images of large groups doing things I don’t relate with. You don’t want art making autistics feel more excluded.”

“It would encourage lots of conversation about the different things in the image. Parents would talk to their children about it.”


8. Associations How we associate with an artwork may be reflected and influenced by our past experiences and interests. Therefore artworks can potentially

encourage a person to reflect upon positive past experiences but it is important to avoid any negative associations.

“Respect for the soldiers who fought in the war.”

“Reminds me of Brighton, my favourite seaside resort.”

“Reminds me of UFO grass markings.” “Maze-like.“

“Jumbled up history book.”

“Pink Floyd commission in the 60s.”

“I have negative associations with it. I never wanted to play rugby as a child but was forced into it.”

“The first thing I would say about that, and the first thing that would concern me is that it looks like a cross in the middle, so for some people it might have religious connections or associations.”’

“It makes me think of a desert and its so hot that everything gets distorted like a mirage.”


9. Realistic/Technical Artworks with a realistic, precise and accurate depiction of the subject matter proved to be very popular. There was an appreciation for the skills involved within this style of artwork. Several participants were fast to point out any inaccuracies regarding details such as perspective

“I don’t know were to look there’s a lot going on and certainly keeps you occupied. It annoys me in some respects because its not realistically drawn but its drawn in such a style that makes that style look fine.” “It annoys me because the perspective is wrong, and that’s my Asperger’s precision bit coming through, but it’s what I would have drawn at school when I was a kid. I can see that there is an immediate empathy with it, there’s an immediate draw to it.”

“It’s very detailed and realistic, I guess it’s not an artists interpretation it feels quite accurate. I don’t want to make generalisations but sometimes people with autism take things quite literally, and so a quite accurate representation of things they might quite like as it is, whereas they might not necessarily understand the artists impression if it’s a bit less realistic.”

or accuracy, within an artwork. Photographs were very popular, possibly due to photographs being easier for a person to process the information.

“I think photography is interesting, I don’t know the science of it but I think people process photography different to how they would process a piece of art because they know a photograph is real.” “I like photographs because they are realistic.”

“The leaf details are accurate. Elephants are seen sideways on so there is no perspective complications.” “I think the tail is funny, I can’t imagine that is what an elephant’s tail looks like but maybe it does. Shall we google an elephant and see what its tail looks like?” “The almost mythical quality of the elephants rather than realism adds to it for once. Even though as a person with Asperger’s I like realism, I can appreciate this vision too in things, but that style is probably harder to do than realism style so I admire it.”

“Rubbish! It’s too simple!”


10. Distorted/Fragmented Artworks that were neither realistic nor abstract but somewhere in between received noteworthy criticism. Artworks whereby the subject matter is distorted and not true to how it actually looks created a sense of looseness, randomness and confusion.

“Don’t like the blurry images.“ “This is a bit confusing because its so distorted it looks like its been viewed from distorted old glass, but I don’t know whether that would be a bit disconcerting. Particularly for example that one where all the lines don’t match up at all, might be unenjoyable to look at. You’ve got the detail and you’ve got the building but it’s the fact that it’s all distorted and it’s not looking how it should look.” “I think they would be puzzled by that, they would be okay if the building weren’t wobbly but I think they would be confused by the wobbliness of the buildings and they might say something like – ‘why are the lines all curly’, and breaking it up like that wouldn’t bother them at all, they would maybe think it was a good idea. In each square there’s an instability which probably wouldn’t appeal to them.”

However, artworks whereby the information is fragmented or compartmentalised, may help to organise the visual elements to help a person process the information in bits, rather than as a whole which can trigger sensory overload.

“This is probably the picture I like least so far. I think it’s the style again, it doesn’t fall into two camps its not abstract enough for it to be abstract and it’s not realistic enough to be realistic but it doesn’t entertain a sense of naivety to me.” “I can’t understand what this piece is about, maybe its finger painting but its not easy to tell.”

“The leaves are all more or less the same on every different tree (separate patterns) and the ‘bittyness’ would appeal to them also.“

51


11. Sound Artworks may also be experienced auditorily, The colours, textures and patterns may evoke different sounds, so its important to be

“I can hear it too, it’s an ascending repetitive sequence sound and it’s very calming.”

“It sounds noisy and they are all touching each other, which makes me feel sick.”

mindful of what sounds the artworks might be conveying, particularly for people who experience synaesthesia, shown in the responses below.

“I am using my imagination to think that if I was there it would be quite calm and there would be sunshine and birds probably and there’s some cows, but they are in the background so they are not too close and wouldn’t be too noisy.”

“I like that, it’s nice, it’s very detailed it’s very buzzy, the daffodils are talking and the colours are nice too. It’s restful in a way.”

“It’s got a song to it, I can hear it and this bit of yellow, but the yellow is giving me a headache.”

12. Tactile If a person is hypo-sensitive to touch they may enjoy touching things around them, therefore they may enjoy paintings that use thick paints with additional materials (e.g. ribbon, metal, wood, lace, leather). Instead of solely looking at an art piece, “There’s a mix of textures so it could be a good thing if you are encouraged to touch it and it says ‘please touch’. Although if a person has difficulty understanding context and social rules, they might be confused by why they can touch this but then later on they try to touch a sculpture and are not allowed to do it, so that could cause stress, but its very dependant.”

a person may for example gain more satisfaction exploring artworks through touch, following the paint strokes and lines of colour, or exploring textured painting, sculpture and textiles.

“ I like this I would like to touch it, that would make me want to touch it. I would trace the lines and even if it was tiny, I can understand it might be fragile and everything but to just touch would be marvellous.”

“I think you should definitely include sculpture. I would like to touch that. I love the qualities of the pieces of stone and glass within it. I really like that and it’s a very huggable shape.”

52


13. Foreground, Middleground and Background The research revealed that some participants found it difficult to distinguish between foreground and background information, and became preoccupied with tiny details of an image, which may have been overlooked by others. Therefore ,it

is important that the focal point of a composition and the detail within the background however insignificant are in focus and treated with equal importance.

“If it is supposed to be a view, you can’t see into the distance at all, the only thing to look at is some animals in a field. But I don’t understand there being a view which is uninteresting, and nothing to see in the distance which is the whole point in a view.” “Scenes are more interesting than mere faces, and when landscapes are used they should not be empty land (e.g. lighthouse on a beach, cabin on a mountain).”

“I quite like that but I can see why other people wouldn’t because it’s a bit violent, they might be annoyed because that looks like England colours but I don’t know who it is against and that face at the bottom is a bit weird, it looks like it’s disappearing. It could have a negative association. It’s different for me because I was never expected to play rugby, whereas if it was hockey I don’t think I would want to look at it.”

Examples below demonstrate where the participants attended to a detail within an artwork that many people may not pick up on. “I like all the leaves. My favourite is the top left leaves on the tree I like there colour with the little yellow dots on.”

“I like all the leaves in the background and makes me want to know what the number is….”

“That’s a very strange (brown object) and it makes the picture noisy. I don’t think its very restful but again that’s my point. I find it a bit strange, it’s probably the one picture you have shown me so far that I like the least. That bits very unsatisfactory whatever that is? It looks like a dead beetle.”

“What I like about it is almost the transparent hidden bits about it the three or four sticks that are just traces”. “Look close into the sun, I can make out a face!”

53


14. Context Context can help to resolve and clarify what the meaning and subject matter of the artwork might be. Several participants perceived the information

provided in an artwork as too vague, incomplete and ambiguous, which was considered confusing.

This is an example of an artwork from the survey that lacked context. From feedback received an indication of environment and situation this person might have added some clarity to what his facial expression means.

“It sounds noisy and they are all touching each other, which makes me feel sick, also I can’t tell if those are people in the background but if they are, neither team has any supporters as no one is a fan wearing their teams’ uniform, and if these teams have no fans they are not very good teams. I generally don’t like the idea of ever doing this sport.”

“I don’t know whether he is crying, or just about to laugh, or sneezing, so for me it throws up issues because of my non-reading of faces, but I like the way he is not looking at me in the eye, I don’t mind that photograph at all. But it puzzles the nuts out of me.”

However, in complete contrast, some people in reference to this piece found the fact it was photographic and depicting reality as positive, and were more comfortable due to this.

“I like the fact its got a number because you can think why has it got a number however that could cause anxiety to people so you need to make sure that on the plaque why it says 13345 and why it’s a bit shiny.”

“I’m trying to work it out and its not giving me what I need to tell me how to work it out, so its different in that respect but it would occupy me for a long time.”


15. People Autistic people can find social interaction and eye contact challenging and may avoid social situations, therefore artworks that feature people were an important area to explore. If people are featured in an artwork it is important that this is not the main focal point, therefore be cautious with use of portraits, particularly if the subject depicted is directly gazing out from the image. If an artwork does feature people make sure they

are situated within a clear context, this may avoid any confusion and help a person to understand the facial expressions of the people within an image.

“It depends on the person but I can see that photographs would be a good thing. They could also be a bad thing of course, because if the person thinks they know that person in the photo, then they might be scared of it or they might find faces scary, particularly if they process the face in bits. The faces could look scary, so it depends on the person, but again its very subjective.” “I think that some people would find faces scary, because they can’t read what the face is saying, so I suppose photography might be even worse.” “I would possibly not have people in an image there. I would have thought there’s enough people they generally have to deal with in everyday life if they don’t want to interact with people. But then again if you’ve just got pictures of people then maybe they might want to focus on it and they can learn stuff from those pictures, things like facial emotions, gaze directions, without having the social aspect.” “Might be bad if the face is staring out at the viewer – avoid direct gaze.”

“Images of large groups of people I don’t relate with and feel excluded.”

55

A consideration of interest is if people featured in artworks are static and stripped of unpredictable movement, this might provide an opportunity for a person to learn about different forms of social interaction, communication and expression.

“I think the objects on the chair spoil the chair, sometimes the chair is more alive than the person sitting in it.”


16. Motion Not all artwork is two-dimensional and static, the combination of colours and form can elicit different movements, rhythms and vibrations, which can physically effect how a person feels. Autistic people may experience poor depth perception, which will effect the way they judge distances, orientate, navigate and manoeuvre around objects, which is an important consideration especially when selecting and positioning optical and threedimensional artworks.

“It doesn’t make me feel calm in the slightest. If I were in a room with that I would be constantly scanning it, even if it was positioned behind me I would know it was there and that it was moving. To me that moves, and though I like the movement it feels strange it doesn’t feel 100% right it feels very strange. I wouldn’t be able to sit in a room and talk with that there. To me that’s very distracting because of the movement.” “It’s a very interesting picture and it would take my attention and I would be sitting there looking at it and looking at itm and working it and watching it move and adding bits. It’s very, very, very interesting but it’s not a quiet picture.”

“So from a personal point of view it’s nicely balanced, I like the spaces, it’s got movement.” “It’s a lovely piece of work it’s a bit jazzy. It’s lovely, it jumps about a bit because of the irregularity. The shapes play off against one another and although I don’t think they would be distressed by it or anything like that, but they might not like it because of that.”

56

A person who is hyper-sensitive to vestibulation and proprioception might feel dizzy, distracted and find it difficult to focus on what is happening around them with artworks that are distorted or provoke a sense of movement. Conversely a person who is hypo-sensitive would seek out this quality in an artwork and may need lots of space so that they can move to accommodate the artwork.

“There’s obviously a lot of movement in it the rotational bit.” “I like it but it’s making my eyes go funny.”

“To get that sense of depth you need to have some configural processing so you need to actually take in those three pieces in conjunction, whereas, if you are processing a single little square then you won’t get that sense of depth. So if they are very detailed, focused, then they won’t get that sense of depth at all, they might just literally see a red square and not the fact that it it’s meant to imply depth.” “I really like the 3D effect and you can’t tell if you are looking up through the ceiling at clouds, or through a sort of wall at hills, or it could be a puzzle piece or something flat with lots of shiny reflective bumpy bits. It makes me want to know what it is. I personally don’t like that, but I am different because I see everything as flat.”


17. Abstract Some autistic people tend to be concrete and literal thinkers, therefore they may find it difficult to understand metaphors and abstract concepts. Some participants described abstract artwork as having no particular meaning and focus, hence difficult to make associations and becoming lost in translation. Some participants did not appreciate the effort that goes into abstract art compared with a more realistic style of artwork. A person who finds it difficult to use their imagination and prefers more concrete representational artworks might find abstract artworks difficult to process and make sense of.

As abstract art contains non-representational images some participants described it as providing emotional power, which is lost through the need to make sense and understand – whereby a person can look and think what they like nobody is wrong. As abstract artworks are open to interpretation they might provide a sense of freedom and empowerment for a person, that encourages them to imagine and decide what they would like the artwork to be – with no expectations. Abstract artworks may appeal to people who find it difficult to relate to representational artworks that are derived from a neurotypical context.

“ As it’s abstract you can choose what it is and say that’s a loads of lorries, its like lorries in line or trains waiting to go on a container ship or something, or it could be lines, could be worms, caterpillars, or it could just be trees, logs or paint.” “So this one is very colourful and I don’t know if those colours for people who are sensitive to bright colours, whether that would be a bit much. It’s also a bit abstract and hasn’t got a particular meaning or focus.“ “I don’t mind art that begs interpretation, but that excites my mind, rather than having any calming effect. If you have people in an environment where they may already feel anxious or agitated, I’m not sure visual puzzles or warmer colours are going to feel soothing.”

“What are they (squares) doing and what are they for?”

57


5. Conclusion The Environment

It is important to consider the location and context where artworks are to be installed; environments such as a school, a diagnostic centre or a home all have different purposes and activities for a differing range of people. The implications of the environment will influence a person’s actions, creating different thoughts, feelings and experiences for them. Purpose and position of artworks for particular spaces is an important consideration for artwork selection. Central to this project is a diagnostic centre for autism, an environment that will likely be unfamiliar to a person entering it, and may only require a single visit. At the centre a person will have to spend periods of time waiting, and other periods answering difficult and personal questions that might make them feel uncomfortable and provoke feelings of nervousness, anxiety and intrigue. Therefore, within this type of environment it is imperative that the artworks do not heighten negative feelings, but instead provide a point of interest and positive distraction from these negative states of mind to help a person relax. Sensitivity towards the positioning of artworks is important, for example an artwork that features melancholy imagery or uses colour in a sombre way is likely to be inappropriate, particularly if it is hung opposite a person waiting to hear the results of their diagnosis. Equally if a person needs to concentrate and answer questions it is important that the artworks do not distract. “Some people will like the artwork but other people would rather be somewhere that isn’t stimulating; because their brain is already stimulated by the idea that they are waiting, and they are anxious that they are going to do this diagnostic thing and what that means. Whereas when you are a child you may not have those sorts of anxieties, but you are still waiting and then you have different anxieties; who are you waiting for? What will this person be like?” “Its not a minor thing, you are going in and talking about something that might change your life, and even for an adultm to have something that is actually plain, allows you the space to breathe, and sometimes an empty space is more valuable than a space with something in it. So instead of putting something in a space to calm someone down, you take everything else out. There’s a difference between a calm empty space and just a plain empty space. Some places you walk into and you feel it needs something, some places you walk into and you don’t actually need anything.”

58


Installation

Transition is an important element to many aspects of an autistic person’s life. Hence, if possible it is a good idea to familiarise a person with the artworks before the final installation; this will allow adjustment over the positioning and selection of the artworks if new issues emerge. Posters (preferably to scale) of the selected artworks are one way to do this, and offer an important transition before the final installation. The posters can be hung using white tack, which enables a person to familiarise themselves with it before the final installation, they can be repositioned (or may be taken down) if a person dislikes the image, hence it will give the person a sense of control and ownership over the space, during this process a feedback forms may also be beneficial. The poster method would work across all environments and is particularly relevant and important for a home environment, as this is a familiar and personal space, so any changes made without any warning or transition could be very disruptive. For environments that a person may only visit once (i.e. a diagnostic centre), it is important that the person is prepared and informed about what to expect from their visit, including information about the environment and the artworks on the wall. That way a person can inform the centre if there is anything that may cause upset and it will help the person to know what to expect from their visit. It is important to consider how someone might move through such a space; what they are confronted with; what they can choose to look at and what visual cues are offered to them to navigate and identify different spaces.

59


Artwork Themes

For environments such as a diagnostic centre, it would be impossible to personalise artworks for every individual visitor. People entering the centre will have different interests and experiences, different hyper and/or hypo-sensitivities across the range of senses,and both extremes need to be considered when selecting artworks to create a suitable balance. One approach would be to group and arrange artworks in themes. The artworks can be arranged in subjects and styles that compliment a person’s hyper- and/or hypo-sensitivities. A method for considering which artworks might relate to a persons hyper-sensitiveness and/ or hypo-sensitiveness is to think about the artworks in regard to a spectrum of qualities/characteristics (e.g. abstract to realism; minimal to detailed; structured to loose; polychrome to monochrome etc.). Through this approach it is possible to estimate the likely artwork preferences of those who are hyper and hypo-sensitive, for example a person who is hypo-sensitive might enjoy getting lost in an abstract artwork, absorbing lots of details, patterns and colours, conversely a person who is hypo-sensitive might prefer to make more immediate sense of what they are looking at and prefer realist artworks that are minimal, structured, limited in detail and colour. Below are some suggested ideas that relate to hyper and hyposensitivity themes: Hyper-sensitive

– Select artworks with visual consistency – Select patterns that are systematic and ordered – Select artworks with patterns that are grouped into similar colours and tones

– Avoid placing artworks in the glare of sunlight – Frame artworks in non-reflective glass and avoid glossy finishes and photographs

– Create lots of space around the artwork with plenty of distance from the next artwork – acknowledge the importance of ‘white space’

– Hang the artworks in quiet spaces away from social areas


– Select artworks with fewer colours, good balance and use of similar textures and characteristics

– Avoid artworks that include elements of optical illusion – An empty space can be very powerful and provide a visual rest – Consider the furniture and other objects in the environment to ensure an artwork does not clash or create too much additional visual noise

– Avoid moving or changing the artworks without any warning. Hypo-sensitive – Allow different positions for observation to encourage visual exploration of an artwork from different perspectives – Consider all the senses, introduce tactile art and sculptures, consider the possibilities for different sensations of touch, smell and sound – To create a visually stimulating mood, use contrasting combinations such as large and small shapes, or shiny and matt details – Select paintings that use thick paints or include mixed media materials (e.g. ribbon, metal, wood, lace, leather, etc.) – Use contrasting colours to provide visual emphasis or markers at strategic points – Select abstract and/or organic shapes – Select artworks with lots of colours – Change the artworks more regularly to create variation.

61


Final Thoughts

No prescriptive set of artwork selection guidelines will meet the needs of every person with autism. It will always be important to consider individuals, and the various elements that affect how they respond to artworks. Sensitivity to individuals and specific contexts is necessary to provide environments that can offer the best balance between different needs. The intention of this project was to undertake an inclusive exploration of the potential of artworks to positively impact the lives of people with autism. Design research was used to identify principles to be considered when selecting artworks. To a lesser degree the study also considered the opinions and feedback of other groups involved in the lives of people with autism (e.g. parents/carers and professionals in the field), as they would also be regular users of the spaces and also experience any artwork installation. The principles and findings presented in this report are not intended to be mandatory or prescriptive. The intention is to build awareness and inspire professionals, service providers, support staff and family members to consider the many elements that make up an experience of artworks in terms of sensory preferences, social communication traits and special interests, and how these, combined with a person's hyper and hypo-sensitivity, can be related to artworks. The principles within this report have been considered for the initial selection of artworks at the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre, which will serve as an evaluation for the proposed principles.


6. References American Psychiatric Association. (2010) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders -5 development. www.dsm5.org/Pages/ Default.aspx ( November 2 2013). Asperger H; translated and annotated by Frith U (1991) [1944]. Autistic psychopathy in childhood. In Frith U. Autism and Asperger syndrome. Cambridge University Press, pp 37–92. Atwood, T. (2003) Understanding and managing circumscribed interests. In M. Prior (Ed), Learning and behavior problems in Asperger’s syndrome. Guilford Press, New York, pp. 126-147. Baird, G., Simonoff, E., Pickles, A. et al. (2006). Prevalence of the disorders of the autism spectrum in a population cohort of children in South Thames. The Lancet, 368, pp 210–215. Baker, M. J. (2000). Incorporating the thematic ritualistic behaviours of children with autism into games. Journal of Positive Behaviour Interventions, 2, pp.66-84. Baron-Cohen, S. (1989). Do autistic children have obsessions and compulsions? British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, pp. 193-200 Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelright, S. (1999).‘Obsessions’ in children with autism or Asperger Syndrome: a content analysis in terms of core domains of cognition, British Journal of Psychiatry, 175, pp. 484-409. Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Stott, C., Bolton, P., & Goodyer, I. (1997). Is there a link between engineering and autism? Autism: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 1, pp. 153-163. Boyd, B. A., Conroy, M. A., Mancil, G. R., Nakao, T., & Alter, P. J. (2007). Effects of circumscribed interests on the social behaviours of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27, pp. 1550-1561. Brugha, T. et al (2009). Autism spectrum disorders in adults living in households throughout England - Report from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007. Bryman, A. and J. Teevan (2005). Social Research Methods. Ontario: Oxford University Press.


Charlop-Christy, M. H., & Haymes, L. K. (1996). Using obsessions as reinforcers with and without mild reductive procedures to decrease inappropriate behaviours of children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26(5), pp. 527-546. Charlop-Christy, M. H., & Haymes, L. K. (1998). Using objects of obsession as token reinforcers for children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, pp. 189-198. Clarke, A. (ed.) (2010). Design Anthropology: Object Culture in the 21st Century. New York: Springer. Creswell, J. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. 3rd ed. London: Sage. Dunst, C.J., Trivette, C.M., Masiello, T. (2010). Influence of the interests of children with autism on everyday learning opportunities. Psychological reports, 107(1), pp. 281-288. Elliot, A. (2002). The art of Priors Court School: The Stephanie Shirley Collection. Bohun Gallery. Frith, U. (1989). Autism. Explaining the enigma. Oxford, England: Blackwell. Gagnon, E. (2001). Power cards: Using special interests to motivate children and youth with Asperger Syndrome and autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company. Geertz, C. (2000). Available Light - Anthropological Reflections on Philosophical Topics. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Grandin, T. (2011). The way I see it, a personal look at autism and Asperger’s. 2nd edition. Future Horizons Henn, M., M. Weinstein and Foard, N. (2006). A Critical Introduction to Social Research. Wiltshire: Sage. Hosseini, D. (2011). Artism: The Art of Autism. Sicoli Group Hosseini,D. (2012). The Art of Autism; Shifting Perceptions.


Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact, Nervous Child, 2, pp.217- 50 Kavan, S, Kavan, B. (2011). Trainman, gaining acceptance and friends through special interests. Kansas, AAPC Publishing. Kerbeshian, J., & Burd, L. (1986). Asperger syndrome and Tourette syndrome: The case of the pinball wizard. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 148, pp. 731-736. Kluth, P., Schwarz, P. (2009). Just Give Him the Whale: 20 Ways to Use Fascinations, Areas of Expertise, and Strengths to Support Students with Autism, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, UK. Kluth, P., Schwarz, P. (2010) Pedro’s Whale, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, UK Miller, E. (2008). The Girl who Spoke with Pictures. Singing Dragon Mottron, L., Burack, J. (2001). Enhanced perceptual functioning in the development of autism. In: J.A. Burack, T Charman, N. Yirmiya, and P.R. Zelazo (eds.), The development of Autism: perspectives form Theory and research (Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 131-48. Mullin, J. (2009). Drawing Autism. Akashic Books. Mullins, J. (2014). Drawing Autism. New York: Akashic Books. Osborne, J. (2003). Art and the Child with Autism: therapy or education. Early Child Development and Care. Vol 173 (4), pp 411-423. Osborne, J. (2006) Sculpture and Autism: a study of the engagement of pupils with autism and the sculpture collection commissioned for their residential School. PhD Thesis, Goldsmiths College, The University of London. Pellicano E., Burr D. (2012). When the world becomes too real: A Bayesian explanation of autistic perception. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 16, 504–510 Robson, C. (2002). Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

65


Sinclair J (1999). Why I dislike ‘person first’ language. http://bit.ly/ X3bWvS ( 11 February 2014). Trehin, G. (2006) Urville. Jessica Kingsley publishers, UK. Vacca, J. J. (2007). Incorporating interests and structure to improve participation of a child with autism in a standardized assessment: A case study analysis. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 22, pp. 51-59. Vismara, L. A., & Lyons, G. L. (2007). Using preservative interests to elicit joint attention behaviours in young children with autism. Journal of Positive Behaviour Interventions, 9, pp. 214-228. Welton, J. (2003). Can I tell you about Asperger’s syndrome? A guide for friends and family. Jessica Kingsley publications. Williams, D. (1998). Nobody Nowhere: The Remarkable Autobiography of an Autistic Girl. Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd Williams, D. (1992). Nobody Nowhere. London Doubleday. Tammet, D. Born on a Blue Day; inside the mind of an extraordinary savant. Free press, New York. P.177. Winter-Mesiers.M, A., Gates, M, A., Houston, T, L., Tingstad, K, l. (2007). How Far Can Brain Ride the Daylight 4449 Express? A strength-based model of Asperger’s syndrome based on special interest areas. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 22(2), pp. 67-79. Winter-Messiers, M, A. (2007). From Tarantulas to Toilet Brushes, understanding the special interest areas of children and youth with Asperger’s syndrome, Remedial and Special Education. May/June 28(3), pp. 140 152.


Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people who generously gave their time, expertise and support during the project: Stuart Davie and Amisha Karia at Paintings in Hospitals for their invaluable expertise. Prof Simon Baron-Cohen at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge. Mark Hull at CPFT Specialist Services. The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre. Prof Jeremy Myerson, Margaret Durkan and Mark Byrne, at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art. Siobhan Stewart at ActionSpace. Dr Liz Pellicano at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education. A special thank you to Robyn Stewart, Jon Adams, Ian Wilson and Catherine Manning for their time and expertise and to all those who participated within the design research, whose contributions have been invaluable.

67


The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design:

People-centred Research and Design People-centred research and design is a process that places the needs and characteristics of the people being designed for at it the core of the process. A characteristic of such research is often the ‘design’ of research methods that look to engage audiences of interest in the process towards developing a body of qualitative insights that can be further developed into themes and principles where applicable. The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design (HHCD) is an inclusive and interdisciplinary design research centre, the goal of each project undertaken being to improve people’s lives across a range of social needs. Based in the Royal College of Art, the HHCD is the RCAs largest and longest-running centre for design research. The work at the centre is organised into three research labs: Age & Ability: design for a more inclusive society irrespective of age and ability Healthcare: creating safer and better health services Work & City: research into changing patterns of work and urban life The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design has been collaborating with the autism charity The Kingwood Trust who provide support and accommodation for autistic adults. The research, now in its fifth year explores a person’s lived experience at home, looking for ways in which it can be more enjoyable and meaningful for the people they support. The projects have led to a number of successful design outputs; a new garden, adapting everyday objects and a range of visual communication tools (Kingwood Sensory Preference Cards). The people involved in the research have minimal speech and additional learning disabilities, so an important challenge is to explore ways in which they can be involved within the design process and create environments that appeal to them.

The centre collaborates with business, academic, government and voluntary sector partners, to develop innovative and empathic research methods – and exchange knowledge via education, events, publications and industrial collaboration.

Paintings in Hospitals Paintings in Hospitals uses exceptional art and creative activities to improve health, wellbeing and quality of life of people with addiction, illness, disability and autism. Every year the charity benefits the lives of over a million people across the UK by relieving sickness, anxiety and stress. Established in 1959, Paintings in Hospitals has grown into a leading arts in health organisation. It has a diverse art collection and delivers interactive art projects that transform the experience of health and social care. It believes that art contributes to the healing process and it is committed to evaluating the impact of our work. Its work brings comfort and reassurance to people across the UK. Paintings in Hospitals work across sectors that include hospitals, hospices, care homes, GP surgeries, cancer centres and special needs schools. It is recognised by the Department of Health, the National Health Service and Arts Council England as a leading provider of arts in health services. It is a partner organisation of the Arts Council Collection for the healthcare sector. It also has relationships with the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Saatchi Gallery, the London Transport Museum and the Contemporary Art Society (London & Wales).
