ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some novel aspects of figure-ground perception with an emphasis on the perception of ground. The emphasis in figure-ground research has always been on properties of figure, with ground treated as a default. Another important factor in figure-ground resolution is contrast. Although the figure-ground literature has emphasized the stimulus properties that give rise to figure, there are certain properties of an area that tend to favor perceiving it as ground. The role of inducer irregularity in fostering strong perceived occlusion/subjective contours at their alignment can be understood on ecological grounds. The chapter illustrates many ways in which figure and ground relationships can be depicted in art – in this case Australian Aboriginal bark painting. These include the overlapping of one surface by another, nested overlapping, pseudo-transparency, figure influencing ground, the infilling of ground, changing ground, and the possibility of eliminating the impression of figure and ground by introducing surface disorder.
