In the world of modern science, the view of art is becoming more profound and unique. Contemporary research in neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science calls on us to peer into the recesses of the creative brain and understand how it shapes and realizes works of art. Science is not only revealing the secrets of creativity, but also raising questions about what processes take place in our brains when we perceive, create and experience art. Let's dive into the fascinating world of interaction between science and art together to unravel the mysteries of our creative brain.
Harmony of the brain and creativity: How science reveals the secrets of art
"An artist is someone who sees beauty in everyday life and shares it with the rest of the world." - Vincent Van Gogh
Let's dive into the fascinating world of the book "Our Creatieve Brein" by Dick Swaab, where scientific research is intertwined with the mystical attraction of art. How does the brain interact with our creative soul? What secrets lie hidden in its folds, subject only to electrical impulses?
Dick Swaab, once again taking on the role of guide through the labyrinth of brain secrets, asks questions that are not so easy to answer. Why are some people born artists, while others are born mathematicians? What is the secret of choosing a profession, and what tiny building blocks in our brains influence this choice?
One spread after another, Swaab reveals to the reader a panorama in which neurons and creative ideas dance. From the magic of artistic inspiration to the biological patterns behind the urge to create, each page is an invitation to the laboratory of the mind.
The study extends to the paintings of artists, in which we are invariably filled with delight or shock. How does the brain digest colors and shapes into something that makes us feel and move? We are witnessing an intimate dance between neurons and art, where every step is a new discovery.
But Dick Swaab's research path is not limited to the harmony of creativity. Through his lens, we peer into the darkness of brain diseases and their unexpected contribution to the development of creative abilities. The secrets of genius are sometimes hidden in the most unexpected corners of our inner world.
Dick Swaab's book is not just a scientific journey, but also a kind of flight into the vast expanses of creative thought. There may not be answers to all the questions that arise when looking at the mysterious union of the brain and art. But the excitement of this journey is guaranteed, and the colorful world of the creative brain promises to leave a mark on every reflected thought.
How do we perceive art?
Modern man has been engaged in art for 40 thousand years. The question arises: could this activity give humanity an evolutionary advantage? The author answers this question positively. After all, art is a form of communication, and its perception is deeply rooted in human nature. But is it only humans who love painting? - the reader will ask. Weren't there experiments done with chimpanzees who also learned to draw? In the 1950s, abstract works created by a chimpanzee named Congo were sold at auction and brought in considerable income. He even purchased several paintings for Picasso’s collection. Alas, monkeys learn to work with a brush and paints, but they themselves do not show interest in creativity. Unlike human artists, chimpanzees are not subsequently interested in their completed works.
Apparently, it's all about the perception of art. And in this regard, it is worth mentioning several interesting facts.
The human brain is designed in such a way that any visual information. it breaks it down into different components. So, color, brightness, movement - all this is processed in different parts of the brain and leads to different effects. Since ancient times, artists have used techniques that have only recently been proven to correspond to the principles of perception.
For example, exaggeration of some basic features - color, shape, size.
This is due to the evolution of the brain, which always remembers better what goes beyond the average. An example is the famous bust of Nefertiti - the long neck and disproportionately large headdress are very memorable. For the same reason, the brain often remembers caricatured portraits better than realistic ones.
Aubrey Beardsley, "Self Caricature"
Another fact: the need to group fragments, dots, shapes, colors gives the brain pleasant sensations.
The magic of making puzzles is not limited to children's games - it penetrates into the most sublime arts, becoming visible in the mysterious brush strokes and mosaic play of colors. It’s as if the ghost of childhood flies over the paintings, forcing us to look at them again and again in search of hidden details.
Great artists, like children, know how to play with the audience, offering them unique puzzles on the canvas. Salvador Dali, in his work “The Great Paranoid,” seems to turn artistic creativity into an exciting race against time. The gaze glides over tiny fragments, as if through a dream world, and, as if by a magical touch, they merge into the image of the greatest paranoid.
The mosaic assembled on canvas offers each viewer an individual journey, as if Dali himself is inviting us on a journey through the hidden corners of his inner world. Art becomes not only a carrier of beauty, but also a magical key to the mysterious galleries of the imagination.
This is not just a painting, but a challenge to the mind - a riddle that needs to be deciphered. We, like children, are again involved in a game where every stroke of the brush hides its secret. Like the magic of our first encounters with art, Dali's painting gives us the opportunity to be the architects of our perception.
So, each stroke, like a puzzle, brings its own part of the great and mysterious portrait. And in this game, the spirit of childhood intertwines with the genius of artistic creation, creating a unique space where everyone, peering into the canvas, assembles their own world. Behind the colors are hidden not only images, but also endless possibilities of inspiration.
The reason is evolutionary development
To perceive such a painting, we use the same mechanism that allowed us to discern a well-hidden predator or prey in the middle of a relict forest.
The evolutionary development of the brain also affects the perception of color.
For example, many people know that the color red causes anxiety. There is a well-known story behind the painting “The Scream” by Edvard Munch, which arose from a panic attack at the sight of a blood-red sunset. The fact is that the ability to recognize the color red was an evolutionary advantage for humanity. Sometimes the red color indicated that the fruit was ripe, but often the red color indicated that the plant was poisonous. In addition, red is the color of blood, and therefore has also been associated with threat since primitive times.
A certain area in the brain that is closely connected with the limbic system is responsible for recognizing the color red.
It is the latter that shapes emotions and behavioral reactions. Panic attacks at the sight of a red sunset or simply the discomfort that a Munch painting causes - this is all her work.
Exploring the Depths of Imagination: New Discoveries in the Neuroscience of Creativity
“Art has no boundaries, it unites hearts and gives people the opportunity to see the world in a different light.” - Frida Kahlo
But if such an ancient mechanism is responsible for the perception of art, then why do people perceive complex abstract art that appeared relatively recently?
There are several explanations for this. Thus, back in the 1950s, it was proven that the visual cortex V1 reacts with an increase in electrical activity in cases where the line of the drawing falls on the retina at a right angle.
That is, the visual cortex of the brain reacts most strongly to vertical lines.
This is why many people like Mondrian's famous Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue.
Studies have also shown that abstract art stimulates, albeit slightly, all areas of the brain, while different genres of figurative painting stimulate only certain ones.
This is why children under the age of one year show little interest in detailed, realistic illustrations - they have not yet matured those areas of the brain that will allow them to appreciate such images.
Images of the brain in painting
For a long time, the heart was considered the “main” organ. But the first image of the human brain, according to some archaeological data, was created back in 1000 BC, which suggests that the structure of the brain was already of interest then.
True, the first relatively correct depiction of the anatomy of this organ appeared only in the Renaissance, in the book of Andreas Vesalius De humani corporis fabrica, published in 1543.
In the Middle Ages, almost all mental illnesses were considered the machinations of the devil. They were treated in the same way - by performing craniotomy. It was believed that all the demons would come out through the hole. Partially connected with this tradition is the very famous painting by Hieronymus Bosch, “Removing the Stone of Folly,” painted before 1521. However, in this case, a pseudo-operation is shown - the necessary instruments are missing on the canvas, and the doctor has an inverted watering can on his head, a symbol of fraud, similar to a jester's cap. The gallows, which can be seen behind the charlatan’s back, also emphasizes the fraudulent nature of the operation. On the right is a nun. She doesn’t read the book, but for some reason she holds it on her head, and looks at the operation itself without much interest. Apparently, Bosch’s contemporaries already viewed the brain differently than in the early Middle Ages, and the operation of removing the stone of stupidity or expelling a demon was considered very doubtful.
Already in the second half of the 16th century, people came to the same conclusion as modern scientists - it is not the heart, but the brain that is responsible for a person’s character.
A legend dates back to this time about a baker from Eklo, to whom people came to bake a new head - if the client was not satisfied with the appearance or character. Jan van Wechelen's painting "The Baker of Eklo" is dedicated to this legend. It shows the entire technological process. The head is removed from the shoulders, and a head of cabbage is placed in its place to stop the bleeding. As in Russian, a head of cabbage is practically the same as an empty head. But in fact, the painting not only shows the process, but also hints that it is better to keep your head on your shoulders - what if the baker bakes a new one poorly? By the way, the painting is the most famous illustration of the legend, and in total there are nine paintings on the same theme.
Of course, you can find much more interesting facts and scientific explanations in Dick Swaab's book. In it, an entire chapter is devoted to brain diseases from which famous artists suffered. There are chapters devoted to other types of art. The book is written in a fairly easy and simple language and will appeal even to those who have never been particularly interested in biology. Non-fiction literature is in fashion today: if you read it, you will be in trend.
In conclusion, modern research in the field of brain science is producing amazing discoveries, revealing not only the physiological and neurobiological aspects of creativity, but also the psychological, emotional and cognitive aspects of the interaction between art and the human mind.
This reminds us that creativity is an integral part of the human experience, and exploring it can shed light on the underlying processes behind artistic inspiration. The quest to understand how we perceive and create art is key to expanding our cultural and intellectual understanding, opening new perspectives in creativity, education, and even medicine. Ultimately, the integration of science and art creates a unique opportunity for a deep understanding of what makes us creative beings in our diverse and colorful world.
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