The science behind a relaxing cameo scene…
Last week one afternoon on the PM program on Radio 4 (IIRC) was a feature on some research into the calming effect of more organised gardens. The results sounded fascinating so I tracked down a news report online to share with you all - along with my reflections…
“Well-designed Japanese gardens have evocative and abstract sceneries designed in great detail. These sceneries encourage the viewer to observe longer to understand the composition and meaning of the scenery, while the gaze wanders more and faster,” said first author Prof Seiko Goto, a researcher at Nagasaki University who specializes in landscape architecture.
“We found a correlation of rapid gaze shifts and a reduction in heart rate and improved mood. The reduction in stress experienced by viewers of a well-crafted Japanese garden is largely due to the design features that lead the viewer to engage in frequent, rapid horizontal shifts in gaze,” added senior author Prof Karl Herrup, a neurobiologist at the University of Pittsburgh.”
You can probably see where I’m going with this already…
I would suggest gazing upon a model railway could well have the same effect… and more, I wonder if the letter box window and near eye level viewing in my cameo designs encourage more horizontal shifts in gaze, and hence increase the impact?
I have previously shared my experiences about the calming effect of model railways. Perhaps then, this research may help explain why my scenes are more effective, for me at least, than the unplanned ‘trainset’ or messy, unfinished model railway. Even as my projects move from bare boards to reality (see Denton Road or Gerald Road for instance) the scene is planned and the effect similar.
Adding this scientific, if we can dare call it that, understanding to ‘The Art of Railway Modelling’ perhaps adds further weight to the choreographed scene composition that I practice and encourage. Whilst the books talk about the mechanics of this from a physical and conceptual position - the potential health benefits intrigue me. They offer a glimmer of inspiration for the next book… an interesting concept to muse upon…
Wonderful.
Perhaps it is a good moment to take my book(s) down off your shelf, make yourself comfortable and enjoy musing on your own choreographed cameo. Until next time, more soon…
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As a photographer I think this is absolutly right. And it is why Gerralt Rd remains problematic As a layout of two halves I see it almost like a piece of classical music. It needs an underlying rythmn, and a reccuring leit motif to let the viewer "read" the scene. I'm getting there, but it feels like it is in an odd time signature
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your reflection James - thank you. In terms of Gerallt Road, what is interesting - is I'm planning another layout in that space, in N. My plan this time is to reduce the viewing window height AND raise the track from the base...
DeleteI found the viewing height made a massive difference. It just doesn't work below eye level. In terms of the size I think there is something about how much we see in a set space. You take in a true mirco layout in a single glance, big layouts offer multiple viewpoints, but the length and depth of Gerralt Rd makes it a one and a half glances scene and we feel uncomfortable with that, it is a trip into the uncanny valley, if that makes sense. It isn't how we view the real world.
Deletei really do think there is some science behind what works. In a usabilitty lab they would track people's eye movements
And to become very esoteric, I see Gerralt Rd as my version of "Take Five" which was at the back of my mind when I wrote the comment about time signatures. I think your original design, and my own first ideas, were doomed to failiure, unlike your latest version.I still have a concern around the level crossing. For me it is a key element of the Tanat valley, and I can imagine how evocative it would have been in Bristol, But it is very hard to place the viewer where we once stood and anchor their gaze.
Scale is another factor here because whilst the original Gerald Road didn’t work in N, both Kohlenbachbrücke and Coalbridge Street, in the same space but HO scale, did and do…
ReplyDeleteThis strikes me as a reflection on composition. Yes scenic and man made elements, yet, story telling anchors etc etc… but more, scale too, and how we hence interact with the models in a particular space.
I shall muse on what you’ve described, and my experience. There may be some conclusions we can draw that would help others…
I agree 100%, and what I can't do is give the science about why the original didn't work,and why I hope I can make it work by changing the balance of the scheme."Anchors" are key, Visual elements that arrest the eye,, but also, as I alluded to, some kind of internal rythmn.
DeleteI can't help notice that many (most) of your shelf layouts seem designed to be 'read' by the viewer from left to right, just as we (in the West) read a line in a book. Some layouts of course work in both directions. But I wonder if you unconsciously favour a left-to-right structure?
ReplyDeleteI definitely have a left to right bias in many of my sketches, I'd noticed this too... I can't explain why though... often the stage exit is on the left (when viewed from the front). The exception is Wrecsam, but that is because of the prototype I suspect. Thank you for the comment, and making me think!
DeleteInteresting. You seem to have managed to sort out some of the thoughts I've been having lately after a similar experience with Japanese gardens. My wife and I recently attended the spring show at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Amongst all the delightful arrangements I was transfixed by a Japanese style Moss Garden. This particular image/arrangement contained little more than some twigs and branches sat in a bed of mosses. But it was so beautiful and calming. I wanted to run an oval of track through something similar. (on reflection that sounds almost sacreligious) But I thought if I could get that same calming effect from a layout, I'd be on to something special. I bought books and went down a YouTube rabbit hole on Moss Gardens.
ReplyDeleteThen as I read this post I realised I'm already getting that calming effect from work on my current layout. Sure, I need to have a big building in position X to hide the exit to the fiddle yard. But if it's just the right length then a 40' box car can teasingly peek around the end of the building when spotted correctly. Then I can fit a grade crossing in front of that... etc: etc. Anyway I've gone on too long. Thanks for another thought provoking post.
Ian great to hear from you... I think, as I said to James (above) that there are some specific 'design' science we could tease out - but composition itself is more about story telling and feel - and is probably difficult to distill into numbers and equations. I think the latest micro you're working on has real promise - and love the name of the shortline (of course!).
DeleteI think the story telling and the structure go together. We are progammed in some way to read and look forn natural patterns, and also tension and resoultuion -the teasing view of the boxcar is a good example. When I finish Gerralt Rd I hope it will be something about the level crossing, You'll "want" a train to cross the road from the big world and then shunt in the constrained space
DeleteHi James. I definitely find looking at rural model railways more relaxing than urban or industrial layouts. The picture at the top of the article confirmed this for me. Stripped back rural scenes make me feel calmer, my eye is drawn to the scene as a whole, on urban layouts I'm busy looking at buildings, pipework, vehicles and clutter. Mind you, rural scenes can of course be over done too, how many 45 gallon oil drums or pallets can you lose in long grass away from obvious places for a them to be. Thought provoking as always. I've taken your advice and have your books out mulling over layout plans... Take care.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tom - I find both equally relaxing for it is the act of finding my way around the scene, I think, rather than the scene itself... if you notice my urban settings are often a little light on fine detail for just the reasons you mention - I'd just never reflected on why this was until now. I appreciate the thought and reflection!
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