Formalism

In the fine art world, “Formalism” refers to a method of studying art by looking at the mathematical (and overall hard-science) basis of its form.

Said another way, rather than making judgements based on gut-instinct, psychological response, and/or something like “vibe,” a Formalist approach to assessing art involves looking at proportion and repetition and color spectrums through the lens of biological preference.

This might mean focusing on how a piece utilizes the Golden Ratio or fractals: two elements that are common in nature, and which thus (according to this and related theories) inform our sense of what’s beautiful and appealing.