TERRY FRISHMAN

WHAT IS PAREIDOLIA?

Literally meaning false images, Pareidolia combines two Greek words: Para for faulty, beside or instead of; and Eidolon for image, shape or form. Through Pareidolia, random or abstract elements can reveal different faces, stories and imagery, depending on the beholder. When strengthened like a muscle, this power of observing anew can reveal what was not seen before.

  It was long believed that Pareidolia was a symptom of psychosis. Now it is accepted as a way of seeing faces in the inanimate, that began as an evolutionary survival skill to quickly identify friend or foe.  With mindful intention, we can open our eyes and minds to a new world of possibilities, perceiving meaningful shapes and forms that were not obvious before. Over time, I hope Pareidolia Fine Art becomes a springboard for experiencing and celebrating the overlooked and everyday.

  Terry is always stunned and awakened by the raw beauty of what is hidden in plain sight and even stepped upon. From otherworldly landscapes to fantastical creatures that unexpectedly appear like paintings in front of her, she captures the magical, accidentally found, everyday world around us in all its unchanged glory.

 Terry's work illustrates how we can see the world anew, with a fresh perspective that invites discovery and celebration of the previously unappreciated. Three clues — Title, Source and Elements — are intended to provide a portal to additional layers of meaning and engagement for how each photograph is experienced. In our increasingly divisive world, where differing truths and realities are embraced, I hope my art sparks discussion, prompting us to suspend our default understanding and shift how we habitually see.