When I first saw this week’s topic, I immediately thought of
optical illusions. I think optical illusions are a perfect example of how art
works within and outside of the boundaries of the brain to alter perception.
Take, for example, the illusion below, created by Nobuyuki Kayahara. Is she
spinning clockwise or counterclockwise? Even if you only see her spinning in
one direction at first, it is possible to get yourself to see it the other way,
as well. This illusion uses the idea of bistable perception, which means that a
2-D figure can be seen from two different perspectives, due to the way our
brains try to make up for the missing third dimension (Cherry).
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| Figure 1. Spinning dancer illusion. |
Another way in which art is used to alter the perception of
the mind is through the meditative creation of art, such as mandalas. These
sand creations are used in Tibetan Buddhism for meditation, healing,
purification, and healing. In clinical studies, mandalas have actually been
shown to improve health by boosting the immune system, reducing stress and
pain, and promoting sleep, among other benefits (Lane). This is most likely due
to the meditation involved in creating mandalas, which has been shown to have a
real effect on the brain.
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| Figure 2. Mandala. |
And finally for this week, I’d also like to talk a little
about the relationship between art and mental disorders. Art is a unique way of
expressing what is going on in the brain, as can be seen in the images below.
The first image is a painting by Louis Wain during his “normal,” healthy
period. The second image is by the same artist, but during the fifth stage of a
mental disorder. You can see through his art how the disorder greatly affected
his brain, and his perception of the world.
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| Figure 3. Normal period. |
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| Figure 4. Stage five. |
Works Cited
"Brain Tricks." The Wall Street Journal, 20 Nov.
2010. Web. 16 May 2015.
Cardoso, Silvia Helena. "Neuroscience Art Gallery: Art
by Psychotics. Louis Wain." Neuroscience Art Gallery: Art by Psychotics.
Louis Wain. Web. 16 May 2015.
Cherry, Kendra. "Spinning Dancer Illusion - The
Silhouette Illusion." About Education. Web. 16 May 2015.
Lane, Carin. "Mandalas May Boost Benefits of
Meditation." Times Union. 29 Dec. 2012. Web. 16 May 2015.
Malchiodi, Cathy. "Cool Art Therapy Intervention #6:
Mandala Drawing." Psychology Today. 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 16 May 2015.
Martinez-Conde, Susana, and Stephen L. Macknik. "Art as
Visual Research: 12 Examples of Kinetic Illusions in Op Art." Scientific
American Global RSS. 18 Nov. 2008. Web. 16 May 2015.
"Tibetan Healing Mandala - The Mandala." Tibetan
Healing Mandala - The Mandala. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler
Gallery. Web. 16 May 2015.
Hi Savannahn, nice post! I liked how you connected to outside sources that weren't discussed in the lecture, it makes for a more interesting read. I have never heard of mandalas but am now interested in looking up the papers that have data on that scientific testing! It is interesting how mental disorders distort our perceptions of the world. I am reminded by a video I came across about Van Gogh and during is depressive, turbulent state he was actually able to capture the turbulent nature of air in his Starry Night painting. Thus, he was able to capture physical phenomena due to his corresponding mental state.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Savannah! I also really liked how you brought up how mental disorders can affect the art and perceptions of someone. In my blog post I focused on how taking different drugs can affect one's art, but I hadn't considered the effects of mental disorders. Perhaps studying the art of various mental patients can help us better understand what is happening inside their heads, both physically and chemically.
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