Bloom

What is it about joy? We all have this instinctual impulse to seek out joy within ourselves and our surroundings. We all crave it! Neuroscientists have discovered that there’s a connection between joy and round shapes. In a series of experiments, people were put into a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine and shown angular objects vs. curved or round objects. What scientists found is that when shown angular images, the amygdala; the part of the brain that associates with fear and anxiety ‘lit up‘ when looking at angular objects but not when they looked at the round objects. Scientists speculated that angles in nature are often associated with objects that might be dangerous to us whereas curves set us at ease. The ‘bloom’ series is all about joy. Carefully orchestrated, these paintings are a jubilant contemplation of pattern and repetition. Circles dance and overlap to create a colorful depiction of reimagined beauty found in nature.

- Rachelle Kearns