Viewing the Mystery “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science” (Albert Einstein)
I have been thinking a lot lately about art and science and came across Neuroaesthetics, a new field of research that is investigating the biological mechanisms that allow human beings to find beauty in some form of art – visual representation, music, dance, literature, etc.
Defined as: “the scientific study of the neural bases for the contemplation and creation of a work of art.” [1] Neuroaesthetics will produce a new understanding of the creative process from the level of neural chemistry right through to the interpretation of the imaginative function.
The main objective of this new science, as stated by the International Network for Neuroaesthetics is to characterize the neurobiological foundations and examine the evolutionary history of why we, as humans, have the capacity for aesthetic experiences.
Some of the areas of the study behind neuroaesthetics is to scientifically examine areas of the brain such as the primary visual cortex, where the brain processes visual stimuli, as well as other areas of the brain affected by memory, understanding, attention, emotion and pleasure.
Through the use of “neuroimaging”, brain function is “mapped” by observing the metabolism of various compounds in the brain with the aid of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and imaging (MRI) technologies.
Studies have already suggested some areas where the artist is appealing to the emotional intelligence of the viewer.
Many are accepted components of aesthetic composition concerning the use of space such as: balance and contrast in outlines or spaces, grouping and patterns in a visual image as well as geometrical shapes.
We know that we find beauty in symmetrical forms, especially faces and our minds love the challenge of problem solving within abstract images, as well as, with the use of metaphor, comparing several unrelated objects to find significance or an explanation within.
Other areas are concerned with perspective and the repetition and rhythm of elements in a painting, but further psychological study has also suggested the Peak-shift phenomena; where the artist is trying to elicit an emotional response by presenting a distortion of the original item being depicted.
This is to say that the original image is emphasized, elaborated upon or overstated in some way in order to produce a more intense emotive response in the viewer.
Professor Semir Zeki of the University College London states that; “These artists may be unconsciously producing heightened activity in the specific areas of the brain in a manner that is not obvious to the conscious mind.
It should be noted here that a significant portion of the experience of art is not self-consciously reflected upon by audiences, so it is not clear whether the peak-shift thesis has any special explanatory power in understanding the creation and reception of art.” [2]
Although some artists use these items in order to exploit our common visual organization and arouse shared experiences beyond the reach of words, it is not clearly understood yet how the process of creation can arouse aesthetic experiences in neural terms.
The common visual and emotional organization and workings of the brain are still being studied.
Can science ever explain art and should it?
The poet John Keats worried that Newton’s experiments with colour and light had ”unwoven the rainbow” and taken the mystery away.
Does neuroaesthetics aim to take the mystery out of art or will it lead us to a greater understanding of it?
“He who possesses art and science has religion; he who does not possess them, needs religion.” (Goethe)
By Boky and Blake
References
[1] Nalbantian, Suzanne (December 2008). “Neuroaesthetics: neuroscientific theory
and illustration from the arts”. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 33 (4): 357–
368. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/174327908X392906
[2] Zeki, Semir. (2001). Artistic Creativity and the Brain. Science, 293(5527), 51-52
Zeki, Semir. (1999). Inner Vision: an exploration of art and the brain. Oxford University Press.