Week 7: Neurosci + Art (Travis Shibata-Bardaro)
This week’s topic of neuroscience and art follows many of the same patterns as the previous two weeks, being interested in the human body and attempting to both map it out and understand it. For this week, the focus is on the brain, which is a largely studied field that continues to be shrouded in great mystery (“Consciousness/Memory” 0:31).
A wide range of topics were covered during this week’s material, but I want to focus on something different, namely optical illusions. Optical illusions have always fascinated me. In fact, I remember watching YouTube videos that made it seem as if the walls around me were melting, providing a rather fascinating experience. There is something about these illusions that brings about happiness, or as Al Seckel puts it, illusions violate our expectations in a pleasing sort of way (0:39). This then goes back to my other blog posts and my continuing argument that art brings joy and happiness.
Beyond that, optical illusions also have more practical uses. For example, painters have devised techniques to deceive the brain into perceiving depth and dimension on a flat canvas (Macknik and Martinez-Conde). Furthermore, in architecture, Jesuit artist Andrea Pozzo was commissioned to paint a fake dome on the ceiling of the St Ignatius of Loyola church to meet budget constraints (Macknik and Martinez-Conde). An image of the fake dome can be seen in figure 1, and its illusion is absolutely mesmerizing even after prolonged observation. Additionally, architects can make smaller rooms appear larger as Francesco Broromini demonstrated in his work at the Palazzo Spada (Macknik and Martinez-Conde). Moreover, illusions are practical in our daily lives as we depend on them in cinema to make flat images appear rich with motion and depth (Eagleman).
Historically, both artists and researchers used illusions to gain insights into the inner workings of the visual system (Macknik and Martinez-Conde). This again supports the idea that the separation between art and science is relatively new. Nonetheless, illusions still serve as a powerful window into the neurobiology of vision (Eagleman). For instance, Mach bands and Hermann grids led to the first neural theory that cells laterally interact. Now, it is understood that neurons inhibit or excite neighboring cells, allowing the nervous system to enhance the contrast between similar regions (Eagleman). This then may lead to instances of illusionary perceptions.
Relating to an altered perception is the use of drugs, which was also briefly covered in this week’s topic. Victoria Vesna approached drug-use, at least in the case of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) with a positive perspective. Humphrey Osmand conducted a research study by giving LSD to alcoholics and found that after a single year, around fifty percent of the study group completely stopped drinking, which was an unprecedented number (Neuroscience 8:22). Timothy Leary conducted a very similar study with state prisoners and achieved a ninety percent success rate in preventing repeat offenses (Neuroscience 11:36). Furthermore, “his experiments produced no murderers, suicides, or bad trips” (Neuroscience 11:54). In fact, almost all his participants reported profound mystical experiences that had a tremendously positive impact on their lives (Neuroscience 12:03). These artistic and creative experiences under safe conditions brought people happiness and would lead to a new genre of psychedelic art (Artincontext).
A wide range of topics were covered during this week’s material, but I want to focus on something different, namely optical illusions. Optical illusions have always fascinated me. In fact, I remember watching YouTube videos that made it seem as if the walls around me were melting, providing a rather fascinating experience. There is something about these illusions that brings about happiness, or as Al Seckel puts it, illusions violate our expectations in a pleasing sort of way (0:39). This then goes back to my other blog posts and my continuing argument that art brings joy and happiness.
Video 1: Optical illusion that makes your surroundings appear as if they were melting
Figure 1: The fake dome on the ceiling of the St Ignatius of Loyola
Video 2: Mach Bands Demo
Figure 2: Hermann Grids (Bach)
Works Cited:
Artincontext. “Psychedelic Art - An Exploration of the Psychedelic Aesthetic in Art.” Art in Context, 10 Mar. 2022, artincontext.org/psychedelic-art/.
Bach, Michael. “Hermann-Grid Illusion.” MichaelBach.De, https://michaelbach.de/ot/lum-herGrid/. Accessed 19 May 2023.
Eagleman, David M. “Visual Illusions and Neurobiology.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 2, no. 12, 2001, pp. 920–926, https://doi.org/10.1038/35104092.
“Hypnotize yourself (melting walls).” YouTube, uploaded by LIO Gaming, 26 April 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MABcEn2iCG0.
“Mach bands demo.” YouTube, uploaded by George Spilich, 8 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWTlEoNyVfE.
Macknik, Stephen L, and Susana Martinez-Conde. “The Neuroscience of Illusion.” Scientific American, vol. 20, June 2010, pp. 4–7, https://doi.org/doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0510-4sp.
Paolo, Fabiano. “Interior of Sant’Ignazio Church.” Shutterstock, 17 Apr. 2017, https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rome-italy-april-17-interior-santignazio-625685177. Accessed 16 May 2023.
Seckel, Al, director. Visual Illusions That Show How We (Mis)Think. TED, TED, 2004, https://www.ted.com/talks/al_seckel_visual_illusions_that_show_how_we_mis_think?language=en. Accessed 17 May 2023.
Vesna, Victoria. “Consciousness / Memory.” 16 May 2023, UCLA, UCLA.
Vesna, Victoria, director. Neuroscience and Art Part 3. YouTube, UCLA, 16 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0. Accessed 16 May 2023.
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