Secret Gardens

For my final photography project, I’m going to take images of secret gardens, hidden green spaces nestled away in the city. I believe that people have an innate need to be around nature. While human beings have lived in industrialized societies for centuries, in the grander scheme of our existence, we were primordial beings living out in nature. If you take that away – if you put people in cities – the surroundings, though familiar, are still unnatural. This can be unnerving and stressful. Plants seem to resonate a sense of calm and peace as well, which may be a result of their contrast to our urban environments. I come from a fairly rural area and this dissonance was something that I feared. I’ve been happy to experience first-hand the relief that comes from seeing so much green space in the bounds of the city.

The other phenomenon that I wanted to bring out in my project is the psychology of the color green. I took a color theory class as an undergraduate where we discussed the physiology of the eye and the psychological perception of color. Green is considered a relaxing and tranquil color, often used in spas to help reinforce the calming atmosphere. A lighter mint green seems to be, more specifically, the color of choice. Interestingly, the plant mint has also been used traditionally as a medicinal herb. Its oils create a soothing effect on nerves and can also help ease an upset stomach. Similarly, aloe is known for its cooling and healing qualities.

In that same class, I learned that green is the most commonly reported favorite color in surveys. Perhaps this is simply because of the relaxing effect that green has on the human psyche, but I have a notion that the cause may be deeper than that alone. I also learned that when the eye perceives light, the iris – a muscle – contracts to adjust the size of the lens, much like adjusting the aperture of a camera. This change in focus not only controls the amount of light entering the eye but it also helps to angle specific wavelengths of light so that they fall upon the fovea, the point on the retina where cones are most concentrated. Green wavelengths naturally fall on the fovea and do not require any contraction of the iris. The color green is literally easy on the eyes.

I believe that there is an evolutionary basis for this phenomenon. Most of the world inhabited by humans was once covered by green plants. Perhaps in the beginning, the location of the fovea varied from person to person. Those whose foveas directly received green wavelengths of light would have improved vision compared to their comrades, and would therefore have a slightly easier time navigating in a predominantly green environment. Perhaps this small difference would somehow impact their ability to survive. Over time, the number of individuals with this characteristic would accumulate as others with less beneficial eyesight began to die off. This could also be a contributing factor to our compulsion to fill our urban landscapes with natural plant life.

The Morning Glory Inn - Southside, Pittsburgh

The Morning Glory Inn - Southside, Pittsburgh

The Morning Glory Inn - Southside, Pittsburgh

The Morning Glory Inn - Southside, Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh People by Jerry Caplan - Downtown Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh People by Jerry Caplan - Downtown Pittsburgh