Art and Neuroscience

Art and Neuroscience? Both disciplines explore how we humans see the world, how we perceive and interpret our surrounding. Can we use this common ground to refine neuroscientific experiments?

This web page is based on a seminar discussing these topics with members of the Ron Yu and Kausik Si lab at the Stowers Institute in spring 2006.

What Do They Have In Common?
highlights common interests and work methods in both fields.

Art and Neuroscience at the Internet
At the internet we found lots of useful resources combining art and neuroscience. Some of these resources and additional background information is listed on the right side of this page. The Wikipedia Mind and Brain portal is an is an interdisciplinary point of entry to the vast amount of information at this "Free Encyclopedia" about such related fields as the philosophy of mind, neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology. For an introduction into current trends in neuroscience the "Brain Facts" primer published by the Society of Neuroscience and presentations given to celebrate 250 years of Columbia University (New York) might be a good starting point. The Dana Foundation is a private philanthropic organization with interests in brain science, immunology, and arts education and makes it available at their web page. The art work from the series "Chimera" shown here, is the result of a collaboration between neurophysiologist Mark Lythgoe and visual artist Jayne Gouge. The image is based on functional MRI brain scans.

Stower's Links:
Winfried Wiegraebe
Kausik Si Lab
Ron Yu Lab
Ron Yu Lab Research Web Page

Web Links:
Wikipedia Mind and Brain: portal to such related fields as the philosophy of mind, neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology.
Columbia University (New York) Brain and Mind: Video archive of symposium in 2004
Society for Neuroscience: Brain Backgrounders.
Society for Neuroscience: History of Neuroscience.
DANA Foundation: Web site with information about brain research, immunology, arts education.
Columbia Neuroscience Society (CNS): Neuroscience Web sites of interest.
Chimera: Collaboration between neurophysiologist Mark Lythgoe and visual artist Jayne Gouge.

Literature:
Brain Facts: A Primer on the Brain and Nervous System, published by the Society for NeuroscienceDownload PDF

Web Links:
Wikipedia: Sigmund Freud
Wikipedia: Andy Warhol
Wikipedia: Salvador Dali
Wikipedia: Philippe Halsman

Web Links:
Conflict Freud & Culture : Exhibition at the US Library of Congress

Web Links:
Marcie Miller Gross: Kansas City Artist
foldoverfold: Exhibition at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (Kansas City, 2005/06)

Web Links:
Google: Search for art neuroscience

Web Links:
Artists on science: scientists on art: Nature Web Focus
Nature Web Focuses: Science, art and culture archive

Literature:
Lythgoe, M. and R. Wentworth (2005). "The Prehistoric Smile."Download PDF
Lythgoe, M. "Children of an idle brain."Download PDF

Web Links:
Christopher W. Tyler: Art Investigations

Literature:
Tyler, C. W. (1998). "Painters centre one eye in portraits." Nature 392(6679): 877-878.Download PDF
Tyler, C. W. "The Human Expression of Symmetry: Art and Neuroscience." XXII ICUS Session: Symmetry in Its Various Aspects. Download PDF
Tyler, C. W. "On the Structure of Consciousness Manifested through Evolution, Psychophysics, and Art." Download PDF

Stowers Links:
Stowers Institute Home Page

Web Links:
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Web Links:
Wikipedia: Pablo Picasso
On-Line Picasso Project: comprehensive illustrated catalogue of Picasso's works
FlyBase: Database of the Drosophila Genome
The Interactive Fly: A cyberspace guide to Drosophila development and metazoan evolution

Web Links:
Annie Cattrell and Mark Lythgoe: thoughts into sculpture
Joseph P. Hornak : The Basics of MRI
Wikipedia: Magnetic resonance imaging
The Whole Brain Atlas

Literature:
Kemp, M. (2005). "From science in art to the art of science." Nature 434(7031): 308-309.Download PDF

Web Links:
Wikipedia: Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Kurt Stüber's Online Library: A collection of historic and modern biology books.
Ernst Haeckel: Kunstformen der Natur (1899-1904)
truth & beauty : Exhibition on interaction between scientific evidence and imagery, and aesthetics.
Molecular Expressions : Galleria
Nikon: Small World Gallery
Olympus: Bioscapes

Web Links:
The Dance of Life: Guide to the Expressionistic world of Edvard Munch
Art History Timelines : Edward Munch

Web Links:
Wikipedia: Max Planck
Wikipedia: Albert Einstein

Web Links:
Olga's Gallery: Henri Matisse
Art History Timelines : Henri Matisse

Literature:
Giles, J. (2004). "Neuroscience Change of mind." Nature 430(6995): 14.Download PDF

Literature:
Lythgoe, M. F. X., T. A. Pollak, et al. (2005). "Obsessive, prolific artistic output following subarachnoid hemorrhage." Neurology 64(2): 397-398.Download PDF

Literature:
Lythgoe, M. F. X., T. A. Pollak, et al. (2005). "Obsessive, prolific artistic output following subarachnoid hemorrhage." Neurology 64(2): 397-398.Download PDF

Literature:
Drayna, D., A. Manichaikul, et al. (2001). "Genetic Correlates of Musical Pitch Recognition in Humans." Science 291(5510): 1969-1972Download PDF

Literature:
Drayna, D., A. Manichaikul, et al. (2001). "Genetic Correlates of Musical Pitch Recognition in Humans." Science 291(5510): 1969-1972Download PDF

Literature:
Zatorre, R. (2005). "Music, the food of neuroscience?" Nature 434(7031): 312-315.Download PDF

Web Links:
Roger Reynolds : The composers web page
The Library of Congress: Manuscript "The Angel of Death"
Caliber - Music Perception :Special issue about the Angel of Death Project (pay site)

Literature:
Reynolds, C. R. (2005). "The evolution of sensibility." Nature 434(7031): 316-319.Download PDF

Literature:
Reynolds, C. R. (2005). "The evolution of sensibility." Nature 434(7031): 316-319.Download PDF

Literature:
Reynolds, C. R. (2005). "The evolution of sensibility." Nature 434(7031): 316-319.Download PDF

Web Links:
Christopher W. Tyler: Art Investigations

Literature:
Tyler, C. W. (1998). "Painters centre one eye in portraits." Nature 392(6679): 877-878. Download PDF
Tyler, C. W. "The Human Expression of Symmetry: Art and Neuroscience." XXII ICUS Session: Symmetry in Its Various Aspects. Download PDF

Literature:
Tyler, C. W. (1998). "Painters centre one eye in portraits." Nature 392(6679): 877-878.Download PDF

Web Links:
The Royal Society
Wikipedia: Albert Einstein
Wikipedia: Leonardo da Vinci
Wikipedia: Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa Exposed

Literature:
Nicholls, M. E. R., D. Clode, et al. (1999). "Laterality of expression in portraiture: putting your best cheek forward." Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 266(1428): 1517.Download PDF

Literature:
Nicholls, M. E. R., D. Clode, et al. (1999). "Laterality of expression in portraiture: putting your best cheek forward." Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 266(1428): 1517.Download PDF

Web Links:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: From Filippo Lippi to Piero della Francesca: Fra Carnevale and the Making of a Renaissance Master
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Fra Carnevale: The Birth of the Virgin, 1467

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF

Web Links:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Luca Signorelli: The Assumption of the Virgin with Saints Michael and Benedict (late 1480s)

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF

Web Links:
Futurism website: Gino Severini

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF

Web Links:
Wikipedia: Cubism
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Cubism
Les Artistes du Cubisme: in English
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Impressionism: Art and Modernity

Web Links:
The National Gallery London: Velázquez: The Rokeby Venus (1647-51)
WEB GALLERY of ART: Velazquez (1599-1660): Venus at her Mirror (The Rokeby Venus)

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF

Web Links:
M.I.T.: perceptual science group

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF
Fleming, R. W., R. O. Dror, et al. (2003). "Real-world illumination and the perception of surface reflectance properties." Journal of Vision 3(5): 347-368.Download PDF

Web Links:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: From Filippo Lippi to Piero della Francesca: Fra Carnevale and the Making of a Renaissance Master
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Fra Carnevale: The Birth of the Virgin, 1467

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF

Web Links:
The Cave of Lascaux
Prehistoric Art : Palaeolithic Cave Paintings
Wikipedia: Ren Renfa

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF

Web Links:
The Art Institute of Chicago:Pierre Auguste Renoir: Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise (The Rowers' Lunch), 1875
Olga's Gallery: Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Auguste Renoir Gallery

Literature:
Cavanagh, P. (2005). "The artist as neuroscientist." Nature 434(7031): 301-307.Download PDF

Web Links:
Neurology & Imaging of Cognition: Patrik Vuilleumier and Sophie Schwartz at University of Geneva

Literature:
Vuilleumier, P., J. L. Armony, et al. (2003). "Distinct spatial frequency sensitivities for processing faces and emotional expressions." Nature Neuroscience 6(6): 624-631.Download PDF

Web Links:
The Dan Flavin Art Institute
National Gallery of Art: Dan Flavin: A Retrospective

Literature:
Crompton, S. (2006). "The light fantastic." The Times February 04, 2006.

Web Links:
Hayward Gallery: AfterImage
Hayward Gallery: Dan Flavin A Retrospective

Literature:
Crompton, S. (2006). "The light fantastic." The Times February 04, 2006.

Web Links:
Wikipedia: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The Literary Encyclopedia: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Molecular Expressions : Physics of Light and Color
Roger Mayer (Brown University) : Color Theory
WebExhibits: Causes of Color
WebExhibits: Color, Vision, and Art

Web Links:
Wikipedia: J.W. v. Goethe: Theory of Colours
Physics Today: Exploratory Experimentation: Goethe, Land, and Color Theory
Color, Vision& Art (WebExhibits): Goethe's Color Theory
Color, Vision& Art (WebExhibits): Goethe and Chevreul: Simultaneous Contrast

Web Links:
Tate Online: Turner Online
Tate Online: Turner Collection
Color, Vision& Art (WebExhibits): Turner and Delacroix

Web Links:
art:21: Paul Pfeiffer (link to video "Morning After the Deluge" on right side)
art49.com: Paul Pfeiffer

Web Links:
Wikipedia: Isaac Newton
Molecular Expressions : Sir Isaac Newton
Burndy Library : Newton' s Opticks (as PDF)
The Newton Project : Newton's Optical Papers
Wikipedia: Light
Color, Vision& Art (WebExhibits): Newton and the Color Spectrum
Jim Platts (designers network): Newton, Goethe and the Process of Perception: an approach to Design

Web Links:
Tate Online: Nicholas Serota on Donald Judd
Wikipedia: Donald Judd