Week Seven - Neuroscience and Art

Week Seven - Neuroscience and Art

Confettii Mice (Hugo Snippert) is an example of the
 brainbow technique being  adapted for other cell tissue.

There are some fields of scientific study that are not intrinsically art-like. Often they’ll develop and influence artists, eventually gaining a more creative identity. Neuroscience, however, seems to have had a largely artistic quality since its conception.

Leary's research caused great public concern
and ultimately forced him into the public eye.

Brainbow, for example, was developed for the purely practical purpose of distinguishing neurons from one another. As Professor Vesna’s lecture explains though, the fluorescent proteins create a beautiful visual and add a layer of aesthetic interest to an otherwise formulaic process. Scientific research on LSD done by Timothy Leary demonstrates a different way in which the brain’s activity is permeated by art. Professor Vesna’s lectures on Leary as well as Leary’s own writings from The Psychedelic Experience highlight the visual phenomenon of hallucinations that the brain produces while responding to the intake of certain drugs. The unique and and dynamic images one saw while on LSD became a fleeting form of art in itself. Leary’s research maintained its goal of offering scientific background and assistance on the process of taking psychedelic drugs while exploring a unique and unprecedented form of art.

Neural Nebulae, Greg Dunn

Neuroscience influences art as much as it is innately artistic. Greg Dunn is a visual artist that depends greatly on his background in neuroscience. His style blends aspects of traditional East Asian cultures with images of neurons, dendrites, etc. With a doctorate in neuroscience and an innovative approach to art, Dunn has crafted multiple pieces that bridge his passions and knowledge seamlessly.

Works Cited

"About Greg A. Dunn’s Art." CNBC. Central for the Neural Basis of Cognition, n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.
Bateson, Gregory. "Every School Boy Knows." Mind and Nature. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.
"Brainbow Photographs." Cell Picture Show. Cell Picture Show, n.d. Web.
Dunn, Greg. "About." Greg Dunn Design. Greg Dunn Design, n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.
Lichtman. "Brainbow." Brainbow. Center for Brain Science -- Harvard University, n.d. Web. 21 May 2017