Week 7: Neuroscience + Art - Angela Zhang

As a student investigating the connection between neuroscience and art, I have encountered insightful works that shed light on this intriguing relationship. In his book "Art, Mind, and Brain," Howard Gardner suggests the cognitive processes involved in artistic perception are closely tied to scientific understanding (Gardner). This aligns with Semir Zeki's research showing that viewing art activates similar brain regions as those used in complex cognitive functions, enhancing our ability to comprehend the link between art and science (Zeki).

A Vincent van Gogh-inspired Google Deep Dream painting. Image courtesy of Google.

An example bridging these fields is Victoria Vesna's "Octopus Brainstorming" installation, described by Christina Albu. Viewers wear EEG headsets, and their brainwaves influence a projected digital octopus, blending human consciousness with digital art (Albu). This embodies ideas from Gregory Bateson and Francisco Varela about the holistic nature of cognition and its roots in physical, embodied experiences (Bateson, Varela et al.). 

Victoria Vesna - Octopus Brainstorming

Further exploring this intersection, I've encountered fascinating work from NASA on cognitive impacts of space travel, to Christopher deCharms and V.S. Ramachandran examining human consciousness, to David Deutsch's philosophy on the nature of explanation. These broaden my perspective on neuroscience while showing how artists use such insights to create experiences challenging our perception of reality. 

Diagrammatic illustration summarizing factors that contribute to the uniqueness of art practice in human societies. 

As I study this topic, I am struck by the profound connections between neuroscience and art. While distinct fields, they are intricately linked in how we understand the human experience. As an artist and scholar, I aim to create works that provide avenues for scientific learning through compelling aesthetics.

References

Gardner, H. 'Art, Mind, and Brain.' Basic Books, 1982.

Zeki, S. "Art and the Brain." Daedalus, vol. 127, no. 2, 1998, pp. 71–103.

Albu, Christina. "Planetary Re-Enchantment: Human-Animal Entanglements in Victoria Vesna's Octopus Brainstorming." Leonardo, vol. 51, no. 5, 2018, pp. 483–490.

Bateson, G. 'Mind and Nature: A Necessary Unity.' Hampton Press, 2002.

Varela, F., et al. 'The Embodied Mind.' MIT Press, 1991.

Zaidel, Dahlia W. “Art and brain: insights from neuropsychology, biology and evolution.” Journal of anatomy vol. 216,2 (2010): 177-83. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01099.x