Blog 7: Neuroscience + Art

The human brain is debatably one of the most sophisticated and advanced organic systems in existence. It allows human beings to perceive the world through physical senses, to feel emotions, to solve problems, and to create civilization & culture. In the context of creation, the human brain has always had an interesting relationship with the creation of art, in the sense that the brain both sculpts and is sculpted by art. From this week’s lectures by Dr.Vesna and the readings, I was able to further explore the insight neuroscience has developed for art, as well as the impact art has on this study of the mind.

An artistic representation of the brain as a neural network

Whether it’s conveyed through visuals, sound, or the sense of touch, art is used as a form of expression by the artist in an attempt to project their thoughts and emotions to the audience. However, in order to create artwork that can retain its intended appeal, the artist must understand how the mind of his/her audience functions, and how they perceive the entire experience. In the past, this was achieved purely through intuition, empathy, and being well versed in social contexts, but with the modern studies of neuroaesthetics, generalized correlations have been made in regards to what the human brain interprets as aesthetically pleasing, amongst other various emotions. This ability to really understand the brain’s response to aesthetic stimuli has been a major breakthrough in neuroscience development, and is a powerful tool used in artistic endeavors as much as it is in the medical field.

The human brain activity being monitored with and without LSD under different stumuli

An interesting avenue to observe the relationship between brain and art can be seen in the culture of artists who partake in recreational lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or more colloquially known as “acid”. From famous song writers such as John Lennon from the Beatles, to legendary novelists like Aldous Huxley, many creative genii have had their most profound masterpieces sprout through the influences of LSD. This psychedelic drug has been known to give an individual “trippy” visuals, along with a sense of altered state of consciousness and “ego-dissolution,” which many people have framed the experience as some form of spiritual transcendence. With modern studies on the effects of LSD, scientists have been able to analyze how the brain responds to the drug, and in result how it changes our perception of sensory stimuli and our method of expression. Being able to draw this connection between the brain’s activity and artistic creativity, artists can continue to delve deeper into new forms of displaying their work as well as being able to create a bigger impact to their audience.  

An artist's interpretation of the same subject at different points of his acid trip 

References

·         Griffiths, James. "This is your brain on LSD, literally." CNN. Cable News Network, 13 Apr. 2016. Web. 21 May 2017.

·         In Art | October 15th, 2013 17 Comments. "Artist Draws Nine Portraits on LSD During 1950s Research Experiment." Open Culture. N.p., 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 May 2017.

·         Turk, Victoria. "How to Pick Music for People on LSD, From a Scientist Whose Job That Is." Motherboard. N.p., 3 May 2016. Web. 21 May 2017.

·         Jung, Carl G. "The Spiritual Problem of Modern Man." Modern Man in Search of a Soul 10 (1955): n. pag. Web. 21 May 2017.

·         Sherman, Carl. "The Senses — A Primer." BrainFacts.org. N.p., 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 May 2017.

·         Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. "Neuroculture." Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10.11 (2009): 815-21. Web. 21 May 2017.