NEUROSCIENCE + ART

As a psychobiology major while minoring in an art-related field (film), this week’s topic on neuroscience and art is something I’ve been looking forward to since the beginning of the quarter. This week’s material definitely offered me a fresh perspective on how art can capture scientific advancements and provide unique insights into the workings of the human mind.

Dueling Cajals - Nervous System

Art has the remarkable ability to encapsulate scientific advancements and present them in a visually stimulating and thought-provoking manner. Frazetto and Anker, in their work Neuroculture, highlight how
. Artists often incorporate scientific themes, such as the inner workings of the brain or the intricacies of genetic code, into their creations. By doing so, they not only make science more accessible but also offer fresh perspectives on our understanding of the human mind and its connection to the world around us. In our present times, where scientific advancements continue to accelerate at an unprecedented pace, the need to communicate and disseminate these discoveries to a wider audience is more crucial than ever. Science, especially the mind, can be hard to grasp at times and art serves as a powerful tool in breaking down the barriers that often hinder scientific understanding. It allows us to connect emotionally and intellectually with scientific concepts, fostering accessibility.



Last quarter, I took PSYCH 119V, which is a class called Brain and Art, and it provided me with invaluable insights into the neurological processes underlying artistic expression. Contrary to popular belief, art does not solely emanate from the quality of our senses but rather originates from the brain itself. In his book Art, Mind, and Brain, Howard Gardner explores how art forms can engage cognitive functions. In the class I took, we discussed something similar in which damaging specific regions of the brain can profoundly affect both the creation and perception of art. For example, damage to the left hemisphere can lead to difficulties in disembedding hidden figures, impacting an artist's ability to discern intricate details within their work. 


Disembedding Hidden Figures - 13 Hidden Faces


Overall, understanding the human mind and its complex workings can be made possible by the intersection of neuroscience and art. We can get a deeper understanding of the interconnectivity of our cognitive, emotional, and creative experiences by investigating the ways in which art captures scientific developments, exploring the neurobiology underlying artistic expression, and acknowledging the unity of these fields. 




Sources

Text:
Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Anker, Suzanne. “Neuroculture.” Nature reviews. Neuroscience vol. 10,11 (2009): 815-21. doi:10.1038/nrn2736


Gardner, Howard, and E. Gardner. Art, mind, and brain: A cognitive approach to creativity. Basic Books, 2008.


Pearce, Marcus T., et al. "Neuroaesthetics: The cognitive neuroscience of aesthetic experience." Perspectives on psychological science 11.2 (2016): 265-279.


Pizzamiglio, Luigi, and Renzo Carli. "Visual, tactile and acoustic embedded figures tests in patients with unilateral brain damage." Cortex 10.3 (1974): 238-246.


Springs, Stacey, and Baruch, Jay. “Artists on the Research Team: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Team Science, Research Rigor, and Creative Dialogue.” Health promotion practice vol. 22,1_suppl (2021): 83S-90S. doi:10.1177/1524839921996301


Images
Dean, James. "13 Hidden Faces Illusion." Mighty Optical Illusions, 13 Oct. 2006, www.moillusions.com/13-hidden-faces-illusion/. Accessed 19 May 2023.


Hunter, Dawn. "Dueling Cajals." Scientific American, 26 Aug. 2022, www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-the-top-entries-in-the-art-of-neuroscience-competition1/. Accessed 19 May 2023.


Rivera, Echo. "How Artists and Designers Can Help You Communicate Science and What to Expect." Lifeology, 27 Apr. 2020, lifeology.io/blog/2020/04/27/how-artists-and-designers-can-help-you-communicate-science-and-what-to-expect/. Accessed 19 May 2023.

Comments

  1. Myles Misener-DaleyMay 21, 2023 at 11:13 PM

    I found your insight on specific regions of the brain to be quite interesting as I had no clue damage to a certain hemisphere could affect something like the perception of art. It made me curious if damage to the left hemisphere leads to complications disembedding hidden figures, what kind of NEW figure would that person now see? Perhaps their artwork could contain figures which others do not recognize. Or maybe there are other complications with brain injury that could lead to even further artistic creations. The idea of consciousness is so complex and unique that it is hard to view things through someone else's eyes. With their own biases, life experiences, and personal preferences, one's art could be seen or appreciated differently by different individuals. It makes me wonder what someone with injuries as you have described may see certain artworks.

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  2. Symphony JacksonMay 23, 2023 at 9:35 PM

    Hi! I love how you related what you learned in class and your major to this weeks readings. I feel like you took a more scientific approach, rather than artistic, to this week's blog. So it was interesting to see your difference in perspective as you talk about the damage to the left hemisphere to the brain, for example, and its effect on the perception of art, as I never thought about it. Im curious to know more about brain injury and its effect on perceiving and making art.

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