Week 7: Neuroscience & Art

This weeks’ lecture materials explored the topics of neuroscience and art, as well as the history and understanding of the brain in relation to our perception of art. Overall I was impressed with the multitude of ways to categorize neuroscience as an art medium and this lecture really broadened my awareness of the deep interconnection between the brain and art.

Early Hand Drawings of the Brain by Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Courtesy of nytimes.com

Professor Vesna discussed the concept of consciousness in this weeks’ lectures and posed the question as to what consciousness is and what it means to be present, and for everything to take place in the present moment in order for us to perceive the ultimate reality. I think this idea of consciousness and the ability to use one's consciousness as a tool for art perception really builds on last week's materials of biotechnology and art as the final manipulation of sensory intake preceding perception. Altering sensory perception through drug usage such as LSD or cocaine were discussed as a means of alteration, as the chemicals manipulate the functions within our brain that then provide us with information about our surroundings.

Artistic Rendition of Albert Hofmann on a LSD trip, Courtesy of allthatisinteresting.com

Another aspect of neuroscience that I found interesting was the ways in which scientists have worked to make the brain functions more visible, and artistic, so that an audience of people can grasp what the brain is capable of doing and the quantity of signals it manages. Examples of this type of scientific artwork is seen in Brainbow and Octopus Brainstorming, where the functions of the brain were illuminated to project a visible representation of what chemical processes are taking place in real time. 

Brainbow, Courtesy of Bhekisisa

Sources:

Albu, Cristina. Planetary Re-Enchantment: Human-Animal Entanglements in Victoria Vesna’s Octopus Brainstorming. https://www.sfu.ca/cmajournal/issues/issue-ten--enchantment--disenchantment--reenchantment/cristina-albu.html?fbclid=IwAR1twyrqbeKqNrJSUXSihLVGvX_D9ARndxDv3USnw2pTENE_iXHJtIo8v54. Accessed 13 May 2022.

deCharms, Christopher. A Look inside the Brain in Real Time. 1206377160. www.ted.com, https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_decharms_a_look_inside_the_brain_in_real_time.

Goldfarb, Kara. “The Story Of The First Ever Intentional LSD Trip.” All That’s Interesting, 15 Feb. 2018, https://allthatsinteresting.com/bicycle-day-albert-hofmann.

Jay, Daniel. “NEUROSCIENCE + ART with Daniel Jay.” DESMA 9, 10 May 2022, UCLA, Bruinlearn, Unit 7.

Philp, Rowan. “There’s Gold at the End of the Brainbow.” Bhekisisa, 28 June 2013, https://bhekisisa.org/article/2013-06-28-00-theres-gold-at-the-end-of-the-brainbow/.

Smith, Roberta. “A Deep Dive Into the Brain, Hand-Drawn by the Father of Neuroscience.” The New York Times, 18 Jan. 2018. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/arts/design/brain-neuroscience-santiago-ramon-y-cajal-grey-gallery.html.

“The Spiritual Problem of Modern Man by C.G. Jung.” Carl Jung Depth Psychology, 13 May 2020, https://carljungdepthpsychologysite.blog/2020/05/13/the-spiritual-problem-of-modern-man-by-c-g-jung/.

Vesna, Victoria. "Lecture 1." DESMA 9, 10 May 2022, UCLA, Bruinlearn, Unit 7.