Week 7: Art & Neuroscience

Optical illusions also known as "brain failures" is art created by our brain

A big part of neuroscience is the study of the brain and how it perceives the world.   Semir Zeki, a neuroscientist at University College London says that art is governed by the laws of the brain. It is the brain that is able to see and comprehend art. Although our brain allows us to see art created around us  we can also create art from brain with "normal" images. These are optical illusions and they represent a triumph of art over reality. By using color, light and patterns optical illusions are able to mislead our brains into believing a perception that in reality doesn't match the true image. Most art we perceive isn't some tricky pattern that lets our brain fail us into believing a picture is there that really isn't, it's usually a well designed piece made to be aesthetically pleasing. But how do we decide what's "good art".  In a Stanford study scientists have theorized that a viewer's experience of "good" art can be explained by a set of neurological correlates. Different types of art can arouse aesthetic experiences for us and scientists are doing studies that localize regions of the brain that correlate human appreciation for these aesthetic works of art. They are trying to see that when presented with an aesthetically pleasing artwork, will the same regions and nerves respond to the image in a way that makes looking at the image pleasing for us.                                                                            

Different parts of the brain trigger different nerves
which cause different emotions, like pictures that
have an aesthetic that appeal to us
Whether it be the color scheme, the shapes or how the picture
is arranged aesthetic pictures appeal to us. 


























Sources:

 Kandel, Eric. "Neuroscience vs art: Let’s talk across the divide." New Scientist. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2017.

Zamieroski, Kirk. "How Do Optical Illusions Work?" Inside Science. N.p., 30 Nov. 2016. Web. 22 May 2017.

 Noë, Alva. "Art and the Limits of Neuroscience." The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 Dec. 2011. Web. 22 May 2017.

 Mengfei Huang. "The Neuroscience of Art". N.p.,n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.

 Simanek, Donald E. "Principles of Artistic Illusions." The Principles of Artistic Illusions. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.

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