A0609
Title: Projection pursuit for art analysis
Authors: Cinzia Franceschini - University of Sassari (Italy) [presenting]
Nicola Loperfido - University of Urbino (Italy)
Noemi Loperfido - Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
Abstract: "Composition II in Red, Blue and Yellow" by Piet Mondrian is an abstract painting composed of blue, red, white and yellow rectangles separated by thick, black, orthogonal lines. It is the most iconic painting by Piet Mondrian, and it inspired product design, communication design, interior design, and fashion design. The painting has been extensively studied using both formal and historical approaches. Most art experts agree that the painting has a dynamic equilibrium with deep aesthetic merits. These beliefs are investigated by collecting the opinions of teenagers attending the last year of an art school. Data were analyzed using several multivariate techniques, including principal component analysis and projection pursuit. The latter outperformed the former in finding data structures, for example, clusters and outliers. The results encourage the use of statistical methods when analyzing works of art.
