Thought Experiment

sunshine · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 592 Location: Up in the Clouds

Just a fun (at least for me) little exercise in seeing how differently people perceive things. ^_^

Look at the image below and respond with what you think is in the blank spaces. If you want to take it a step further, you can also write down who she is, where she is, what she's doing, and why.

This might be more appropriate in either the art or writing forum, but since my purpose here is to see how people think, rather than showing off a drawing or giving a writing prompt, I figured I'd start with it here.
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Asa · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 5:12 pm Post subject:

Well, my first thought is "Bride! Sunny's getting married!" And I wonder where her veil is.

The blurred edges and white space makes me think of it as a focused memory - maybe from her husband's point of view, since she's the only one in the picture, and the edges blur out because they don't matter, nor does the background. The only thing that matters is her, so that's the only thing there.

If I had to fill in the white spaces... I'd imagine she's pretty high up, based on the wind, and there's a bright sun in the upper left corner. There'd be a sunbeam or three as well. Other than that I imagine blue sky, early to mid morning, a few wispy clouds, but not much else. Maybe her husband-to-be (there's such a better word in Hebrew, argh!) is smiling behind the cameraman, and laughing because her hair fell down into her eyes and has to be put back up again.
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TheBritishInvasion · Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 1846 Location: The couch

Okay, um, well when I look at it I see a manor house to the left of the page, there's a marquee and tables in the distance and in front of her are steps leading downwards. It's her wedding day but she can't go through with it because she doesn't love the groom, and she doesn't know how to tell him that so she's running away.
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JackAce · Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 673 Location: 53°04'N 8°53'E

She's standing on the balcony of he family's manor. The low wall behind her is the balcony's railing. The blank space would be the manor wall, which is thickly overgrown with grapevines.

She likes to come out here in her free time and pick some fresh grapes to eat while they're in season. But over the past few weeks, she has harvested off all the grapes within convenient reach, so now she had to lean far out over the edge of the railing in order to reach more grapes.

Just now, she has urned around rather quickly, because her mother called for her. If her mother knew what she had been up to, she's be in for a lecture about how climbing around like that is not only dangerous, but also does not befit a young lady of her standing.
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Tyris · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject:

Oddly enough, we don't fill in the blank spaces. They're background, and if the background was left blank it may be assumed that the artist wanted to place more focus on the foreground.

She seems to be standing in a fountain, or possibly a bed of drying concrete. Splish-splashing around in a dress like that, combined with the hair that's fallen loose over her eyes, suggests she was supposed to be doing something else and decided to have fun instead. However, her posture is a little too upright and rigid for her to be having fun right now, and given the way she's peering off to the side, it looks as if an authority figure has just called her on it. Whoops.
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Tinalles · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:16 pm Post subject: Re: Thought Experiment

Hmm, white dress, standing in front of a balustrade made of stone (marble?). Bangs hanging down over her eyes.

She's obviously a beekeeper heading out to collect honey from the hives scattered through clovered meadow. Obviously! ^___^
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Nem · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 2109 Location: England

I can make up stories about how a character would have got to a certain situation, and I can theorise about what might be in the blank spaces. But honestly I don't think anything specific is there beyond the obvious, it might be a river, it might be a thousand foot fall robotic death machine, I just think white pixels are there.
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theBSDude · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject:

*nods* same here.

I do think it looks like it'd be rainy, though, 'cause of her hair.
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sunshine · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 592 Location: Up in the Clouds

Heehee! Oh these are wonderful, thank you all for replying!

@Tyris - This artist has left the space blank so that the viewer is required to come up with a more detailed background on their own, without the artist's guidance. ^_^ I've done such drawings before, specifically with the intention of having other people decide what's there instead.

@Nem - You're a very literal person, aren't you?

@TheDude - same where?
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theBSDude · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:49 pm Post subject:

@sunny: I meant same as Nem.
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sunshine · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 592 Location: Up in the Clouds

Gotcha

Also, more replies...

@Asa - what made you think it was windy? You're the only person so far to see that, so I'm curious where it came from. Also, you're a generally selfless person, aren't you? Smile

@Britland - Why do you think she doesn't love her groom?

@Tinalles - Hmm, yes. Obviously! Very Happy

Is that why her bangs are in her eyes, to keep the bees out of them?
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Tinu. · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:19 pm Post subject:

I fill it in with a garden terrace. She's about to go down some steps to go walking in the lovely green garden filled with roses.
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devilman2045 · Guest

She's on a belcony at a party. She's turning back to face the ballroom. It would be one of those eloquent ones with the staircases coming down on either side of the room. And there are those big fancy shutters that swing out to the balcony.

Why is it your wanting to get into our heads?

Asa · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject:

That was my reason for posting the "What are you wearing" thread - it's just fun to see how people think based on unrelated answers. A way to get to know people.

Sunny: Because of her skirt, and the fact that her hair is pushed over her shoulder so far. Especially at that length, unless there was something keeping it there, there would be at least a few strands behind her shoulder. Trust me on this, when it comes to hair, I know. ^_~

And though, yes, I do try to be a selfless person, what in my answer pointed in that direction?
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Keeper of the Library and the Gateway to Haven

Nem: "It's the sort of face you just know is getting ready to poke you with something sharp."
BS: "...then insist you eat a brownie."
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If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended...
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

sunshine · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 592 Location: Up in the Clouds

Because I find heads to be fascinating topics of study, and this method doesn't get me into quite as much trouble as several alternatives? 0=)

@Asa - Because where most people put the focus on the figure, you thought about who was looking at the figure instead. It's human nature to put ourselves in the place of those we see in pictures, in order to relate to the image or possibly just because our base nature is very self-oriented (survival instinct is a tough habit to break Razz

). So when there's only one figure to relate to, and you look beyond that figure to find others instead, it tells me you tend to think of others in priority over yourself.

Just personal observations, mind you, based on how thought experiments like this have gone in the past. Smile

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