Pattern Recognition

Acrylic on gesso panel, 25" x 45"

Apophenia is an oddity of perception. It’s the tendency to interpret seemingly random patterns in Nature as somehow meaningful. The ability to spot and recognize patterns - patterns that tell us what to eat, what to avoid, or what to try and reproduce with - is an adaptation with positive feedback for survival. While all living things recognize patterns, it may be only humans who assign symbolic meanings to them. These cryptic recognitions, sometimes deeply nuanced or overflowing with powerful emotion, can make the experiencer feel as though he/she has touched something otherworldly . . . as if they’re receiving an important message - intended only for them - from a Divine source. While most scientists dismiss these claimed connections as erroneous, strange patterns can sometimes trigger epiphanies: sudden and striking realizations . . .