On Thursday, March 9, students in Jennifer Merrill’s psychology courses took a trip to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. A tour was created specifically for the visit and emphasized the intersection of psychology and art.
While viewing the Andy Warhol exhibit the docent, Sandy Hunt, explained how Warhol’s early life experiences influenced and shaped his art. Students also examined how Warhol presented symptoms of hoarding disorder, a topic discussed in Abnormal Psychology. Students toured the works of Chuck Close, an artist who creates huge portraits, yet is face-blind. This condition, known as prosopagnosia, is discussed in General Psychology and Psychobiology. Lastly, students visited the Diane Arbus exhibit, a photographer whose images created controversy by focusing on marginalized and stigmatized populations, topics that are discussed in Abnormal Psychology.
This trip afforded students a wonderful opportunity to apply concepts discussed in psychology courses to an entirely different discipline. We felt honored that SF MOMA provided us with such an amazing learning experience.
Article by Jennifer Merrill
