Abstract
<p>Despite a growing body of research connecting many art activities to mental well-being or mental and physical health, empirical evidence regarding the actual, lived experience of artworks and how this might relate at a mechanistic level to specific outcomes, remains limited. This is especially so for contemporary art, which is often thought to not be particularly appreciated among the public, thus raising serious questions when applying public resources to its creation or installation, as well as when considering public access, or when trying to connect these artforms to specific societal benefits. The present study considers these gaps with one notable contemporary example––James Turrell's Skyspace series. Unlike many contemporary examples, these are often sought-after among the general public, specifically because of the presumed positive results they might elicit. They have thus been a recipient of many public resources and initiatives and have also been anecdotally, but not empirically, connected to both contemplative but also transformative engagements. Using a within-participants crossover design, participants (N = 143) experienced a Skyspace and completed pre- and post-experience questionnaires assessing well-being, embodied cognition, and identifying experience type via latent profile analysis. This was contrasted (with counterbalanced order for all participants) with engagement with nature (contemplation of a garden), which itself provides an emerging target for public funding and arts comparison. While descriptive trends suggested higher aesthetic ratings for the Garden, statistical models revealed no main effects of space on liking, beauty, or interest, but several time effects. In contrast, the Skyspace elicited higher mood arousal and increased reports of feeling emotions or activation in the "head," consistent with more introspective, cognitive engagement. Latent profile analysis identified more Harmonious experiences in the Garden and more Transformative experiences in the Skyspace, associated with cognitive challenge and insight. Both spaces enhanced positive affect. However, the Experience Type was a stronger predictor of both aesthetic evaluation and well-being outcomes than the space itself, with Novel and Harmonious experiences associated with the most positive outcomes across both spaces. These findings convey the interplay between space, person, and context on aesthetic and affective experiences.</p>