Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

While reading Neuroculture by Giovanni Frazzetto and Suzanne Anker, I was intrigued by the product of neuroculture known as neuroaesthetics. Neuroaesthetics is a new field of research that “considers the subjective aspect of aesthetic experiences in the creation and appreciation of art works to be superimposed upon common and universal neural circuits” (Anker 815). Scientists in this field attempt to combine neurological research with aesthetics by investigating our brain functions and mental states while experiencing art and music. Here, we can already see a direct connection between two different fields of study (neuroscience and art) and how they can be further understood by studying human behavior as well.

Neuroscience can possibly reveal the building blocks of our personality, consciousness, and the way we make decisions, among others. Semir Zeki, a neuroscientist and professor at the University College of London, states on his blog that “art is a human activity…and obeys the laws of the brain” (Zeki). He likes to say that art is experienced by the brain and created by the brain. This reminds of Gall’s phrenology mentioned by Professor Vesna and implies that there is a region of the brain directly correlated to the creation of art. 

Patrick Hughes Popper

A perfect example of the way our brains perceive art is Patrick Hughes’ gallery, “Reverspective,” which offers stunning visual illusions. Although we know his paintings are two dimensional, we are met with a disorientating experience because the paintings create the effect of a 3-dimensional space. The brain perceives his work as if there were physical corridors we could walk through, challenging the way we think about how our eyes and brain perceives visuals.

Michelangelo's Expulsion from Paradise

With the proliferation of new neuroscience technology such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), neuroscientists have been able to experiment with how the brain reacts to art. In an experiment involving Michelangelo’s Expulsion from Paradise, it was found that the gesture of Adam’s wrist bent back was enough to “excite areas in the primary motor cortex that controlled the observer’s own wrists” (Smithsonian).

Aside from how the brain processes images, artists have also experimented with mind-altering substances such as cocaine, LSD, and other drugs. In one of the most creative and absurd experiments I’ve ever heard of, artist Bryan Lewis Saunders decided to take a different drug every day and create a self-portrait of himself while under the influence in order to see how his perception of self would change. 

Works Cited:

Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. "Science and Society - PERSPECTIVES." Neuroculture 10 (2009): 815-21. Nature Reviews. Macmillan Publishers, Nov. 2009. Web.

Hughes, Patrick. "Reverspective." Www.patrickhughes.co.uk. Patrick Hughes, n.d. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.patrickhughes.co.uk/gallery/painting/>.

Lucero, LeAnna. "Phrenology." Phrenology. LeAnna Lucero, n.d. Web. 17 May 2015. <https://sites.google.com/site/physiciki/Home/pseudoscience/period-2/phrenology>.

Luxton, Rebecca. "A Man Got High on 52 Different Drugs Then Drew These Trippy Self-Portraits." RYOT News. RYOT, 24 July 2014. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.ryot.org/bryan-saunders-self-portraits-drugs/765053>.

Tucker, Abigail. "History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian." Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2012. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-does-the-brain-process-art-80541420/>.

Zeki, Semir. "Statement on Neuroesthetics." Neuroesthetics.org. Neuroesthetics, n.d. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.neuroesthetics.org/statement-on-neuroesthetics.php>.