Asymmetry From All Angles
I don’t know about you, but I can’t make up my mind which is more appealing in art: symmetry or asymmetry. And this goes for all types of art, visual especially, even performance. For days now, I’ve been sifting through endless research on the subject, and one notable thing I’ve come up with is that there are a ton of overly complicated definitions of “symmetry” and “asymmetry.” The ones that I like most happen to be the simplest: SYMMETRY is the identical mirroring of something, while ASYMMETRY is the absence of symmetry. Still, no one (that I’ve found) has been able to define “asymmetry” without first defining “symmetry.” I wonder if asymmetry can stand on its own feet?
In most literature, the consensus seems to be that humans have a preference for symmetry. For instance, most studies on the subject show that symmetry in the features of a human face is considered an important factor in attraction, both in female and male faces. It is theorized that the preference for symmetrical faces might be associated, albeit illogically, with the fact that some genetically linked pathologies can cause asymmetry. But wait a minute, all of our internal organs are asymmetric. Even at a cellular level, the organelles of a cell are spread out asymmetrically inside its soma. Trying to explain the preference of symmetry over asymmetry from a biological standpoint might render futile results, so alas, we return to the art sphere.
I posed this question of symmetry vs. asymmetry in art to my friends from all walks of life, and based on the answers from many of those in creative fields, asymmetry seems to win in appeal. Though a good number still showed a preference for symmetry, I wondered if that could be because once we realize we live in a world that lacks order and predictability, we tend to hold on to whatever might make it somewhat more predictable? Or perhaps symmetry helps us remember the placement of objects and gain easier access to memory recalls that help us navigate spaces more quickly as a survival method? There are studies that propose the latter.
It seems that, in spite of showing a preference for symmetry in our everyday lives, when it comes to art and design, asymmetry might be considered appealing—and, perhaps, even encouraged. What is it about asymmetry that’s so appealing in creative fields then?
I found a study published by Yi Huang, et. al., which showed that children may not have a clear preference for symmetry in their everyday lives as adults seem to do. To quote the study, “People’s judgments of the aesthetic appeal of a work of art was affected by symmetry for adults but not at the age of four. Four-year-old children were sensitive to symmetry in the present patterns, but this sensitivity did not guide their aesthetic judgments, as it did for adults.” The study goes on to propose that “...adults have more chances to gain symmetry-related experience by studying art and design. Lots of evidence shows that aesthetic expertise affects people’s level of aesthetic appreciation.” These suggestions bring into question the theories that the preference for symmetry in everyday life might just be something intrinsic to the human brain and contradict my findings of preference for asymmetry among creatives.
Then how to explain the appeal of asymmetry in art and design? I think the answer might be rooted in our survival instincts. In other words, our brains are hardwired to make sense of our outside world for survival, i.e. the proverbial spotting of the saber tooth tiger before it spots you. Thus, the more straightforward the image we’re seeing, the easier it is for us to understand it and assimilate it. In contrast, when we’re presented with an asymmetrical image, our brains spend more time trying to figure out what we’re seeing, which causes them to be more engaged in the process. This is mostly borrowed from the explanation of the appeal of abstraction by Dr. Eric Kandel in his book “Reductionism in Art and Brain Science: Bridging the Two Cultures.”
My two cents is that symmetry might represent balance (and maybe, by extension, peace of mind?) in an otherwise chaotic world. Asymmetry, in contrast, might trigger curiosity in the viewer and the need to reconcile the unbalanced position of the elements of the scene in front of them.
What do you think?