'Striking Impressions’, opening on 14 February in the University of Aberdeen’s Sir Duncan Rice Library, looks at how faces have been interpreted and depicted in different ways through the centuries from anatomy, divination and caricature to sculpture, painting and masks.
You can see
highlights from the University’s art, museum and rare book collections,
exploring how we read faces, how people around the world have depicted animal
faces, powerful faces and ideas of beauty, and how faces can be mocked and
distorted through cartoons and caricatures.
As well as
artistic representations, ‘Striking Impressions’ looks at the psychology of how
people respond to faces. Whose faces do we trust or distrust? Some people in
the past believed that the features and measurement of the face can reveal a
person’s inner character, especially in the eighteenth to early twentieth
century when many people followed the popular pseudosciences of phrenology and
physiognomy.
Though such
theories are now discredited, research – including that by psychologists at the
University of Aberdeen - has shown that people do make consistent judgements
about other people’s character based on their face. You can learn about this
research, think about whether today’s society is ‘face-ist’, and try out
guessing whether human faces are AI-generated or real based on recent studies
done at the University.
Curator Dr Helen
Pierce said: "I'm currently writing a book on the history of British
political caricature, so being able to work with the University of Aberdeen's
significant collection of satirical prints for this exhibition was both
inspiring and entertaining. I hope visitors to ‘Striking Impressions’ feel the
same."
Though there’s
plenty to see, there’s more to do than just look. Curator Sam Revell said:
“Throughout the exhibition we’re encouraging visitors to reflect and engage
with the displays creatively. There’s even a creative space in the middle of
the gallery where you can just sit and use the art supplies provided. You
can create a new caricature to add to our gallery wall; draw yourself, your
friends, and the faces of your imagination; and see what other visitors have
made in response to ‘Striking Impressions’.”
The
exhibition/creative space was curated by Sam and the University’s Museums &
Special Collections team, with Dr Pierce, Senior Lecturer in Art History, and
Dr Clare Sutherland, Senior Lecturer in Psychology.
There is an
events programme starting with a ‘curator’s view’ tour on 28 February TOUR:
Striking Impressions - Curator's View | Events | Museums and Special
Collections | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk), followed by a talk
about the Aberdeen Sibyls, seventeenth century paintings which were given a
‘glow-up’ in the eighteenth century: Beneath
the surface: solving the mystery of the Aberdeen Sibyls | Events | Museums and
Special Collections | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk)
Students from the
University of Aberdeen’s Art History society will be running guided tours on
Thursday lunchtimes from 13:00 – 13:30 starting from March 6. Visitors can
drop in on the day to join the tour, or contact uoacollections@abdn.ac.uk to book a
space.
There will also
be an ongoing series of creative workshops and events advertised on https://www.abdn.ac.uk/collections/whats-on
‘Striking Impressions’ exhibition/creative space is open in the Sir Duncan Rice Library, Bedford Road. Open Mon-Fri 11am–7pm, Sat & Sun 12 noon– 4pm. Entry is free and all are welcome. For further details contact uoacollections@abdn.ac.uk or visit www.abdn.ac.uk/collections