Week 7 Blog: Neuroscience and Art
After reviewing this week's materials, I am most interested in the idea of the conscious and the unconscious, and how these various states can be vehicles for art. In Professor Vesna's second lecture, she discusses various thinkers who influenced the study of conscious and unconscious states, such as Jung's five most common archetypes of the unconscious. I was particularly interested in "the shadow," or the traits that lie deep within oneself. I believe that these deeply held traits can influence our actions greatly, especially those who produce art.
In Art, Mind and Brain: A Cognitive Approach to Creativity, Gardner asserts that "The mind operates according to specifiable rules" (4). While the book goes on to explain how these neurological functions affect one's creativity, there is also an argument to be made for the way that our unconscious qualities also play into the creation of art. Christopher deCharms' Ted Talk explains the ways that humans are learning to control the brain's activity through fairly non-invasive technology, but notes that there are certain parts that are much harder to map and control. This is where the subconscious comes in.
I have heard many artists describe inspiration from their art as coming from somewhere deep inside themselves, whether through the subconscious or even in visions. William Blake, the famous poet and artist, had many visions inspiring his artwork, and many have discussed how the subconscious may have affected his visions. These instances make me wonder how much of the creative work that I have produced has been influenced by deep-seated ideas or beliefs I am not aware of!
References
1. deCharms, Christopher. “A Look inside the Brain in Real Time.” www.ted.com, 24 Mar. 2008, www.ted.com/talks/christopher_decharms_a_look_inside_the_brain_in_real_time?language=en.
2. Gardner, Howard. Art, Mind, and Brain: A Cognitive Approach to Creativity. 1982.
3. Grovier, Kelly. “William Blake: The Greatest Visionary in 200 Years.” Www.bbc.com, 10 Sept. 2019, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190910-william-blake-the-visionary-relevant-200-years-on.
4. Vesna, Victoria. Neuroscience and Art Lectures: Lecture II: Consciousness and Memory (Via BruinLearn).
5. Zaidel, Dahlia W. “Art and Brain: Insights from Neuropsychology, Biology and Evolution.” Journal of Anatomy, vol. 216, no. 2, Feb. 2010, pp. 177–183, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01099.x.
Images
1. Mehta, Hemanshi. “Jung’s Collective Unconscious.” I.I.M.U.N. Blog, 4 Mar. 2021,
new.iimun.in/blog/others/jungs-collective-unconscious/.
2. deCharms, Christopher. “A Look inside the Brain in Real Time.” www.ted.com, 24 Mar. 2008,
www.ted.com/talks/christopher_decharms_a_look_inside_the_brain_in_real_time?language=en.
3. Grovier, Kelly. “William Blake: The Greatest Visionary in 200 Years.” Www.bbc.com, 10 Sept. 2019,
www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190910-william-blake-the-visionary-relevant-200-years-on.
Hey Jessica, I really enjoyed reading your blog this week! I found your reflection on the conscious and unconscious mind to be thought provoking and I loved how you incorporated Jung concept of “The shadow” in your discussion. I also agree that deeply found traits influence our actions greatly and loved how you tied that into artistic expression. It was interesting how you wondered if the work you have done was produced because of subconscious beliefs, like Blake’s poems and art were affected by his subconscious. The you used images tied in to what you were saying and helped me to relate what I was reading to a visual, especially the “the ghost of a flea” painting by Blake. Overall, great job!
ReplyDelete