Judging Abstract Expressionist and Conceptual Artworks under Different Information Conditions

Abstract

Verbal information presented alongside artworks affects how they are judged and experienced, with diverse effects depending on aspects like information type and artistic style. The aim of the present studies was to explore the effect of different types of information (image only, short label, descriptive text, and interpretive text) on a range of responses to abstract expressionist and conceptual artworks, including aesthetic and epistemic emotions, judgments of understanding, and artistic value. Interpretive texts had positive effects on appraised ability to understand, epistemic emotions, and artistic value judgments, while descriptive texts affected aesthetic emotions. Artistic style was only relevant for the effect on epistemic emotions. Additionally, viewing times were shorter for images presented after texts. Overall, results suggest that different types of information might relate to different facets of the aesthetic experience.