Artistic explorations of the brain

Abstract

The symbiotic relationships between art and the brain begin with the obvious fact that brain mechanisms underlie the creation and appreciation of art. Conversely, many spectacular images of neural structures have remarkable aesthetic appeal. But beyond its fascinating forms, the many functions performed by brain mechanisms provide a profound subject for aesthetic exploration. Complex interactions in the tangled neural networks in our brain miraculously generate coherent behavior and cognition. Neuroscientists tackle these phenomena with specialized methodologies that limit the scope of exposition and are comprehensible to an initiated minority. Artists can perform an end run around these limitations by representing the brain's remarkable functions in a manner that can communicate to a wide and receptive audience. This paper explores the ways that brain mechanisms can provide a largely untapped subject for artistic exploration.

Keywords: aesthetic; art; brain; collage; neural.

Figure 1

Two examples of Todd Siler's “Mind Icons,” rendered on frontal sections of the brain and alluding to the innumerable productions of the mind and complex structures of the brain. Left: “Connectivity” Siler, (1975). Right: “Radical Futures” Siler, (1993).

Figure 2

“Resonant Transformations,” a digital collage by the author. The geometric images were created by Eric Heller, using simulations of quantum dynamics and incorporated here to allude to dynamic neural interactions in the brain.

Figure 3

“Awakening,” by the author. The white portion of the image is intended to be rendered as a mirror surface reflecting reality. Alternatively, the image can be rendered on clear glass, with the white portion transparent.