This is Your Brain on My Art
“Cacophony of Thought” - Photographic abstract art of Rodin’s “The Thinker” at the Cleveland Museum of Art
The art I create brings me immense joy. It turns out, that others, possibly even you, respond in a similar way. I love this and really hope you find yourself smiling when you look at the work I create. It’s a curious thing to be moved by a visual experience, and begs me to ask, “what’s going on in the brain?” Well, I did a little bit of reading, chatted with some experts, and learned some things. Here’s what your brain looks like on my art…
When you first glimpse the vibrant and surreal renditions of familiar landscapes in my art, your brain’s visual cortex springs into action. It processes these unexpected colors and forms, creating a burst of neural activity that commands attention and heightens emotional engagement. This initial shock of the new stimulates not just the senses but also curiosity and wonder.
As you continue to engage, staring deeply into the artwork, deeper cognitive processes take over. The prefrontal cortex, involved in planning and decision-making, begins to draw connections between the familiar and the abstract elements in the image. This synthesis can evoke personal memories and emotions, linking the present experience to past moments. The brain's reward system, including areas like the ventral striatum, lights up in response to aesthetic pleasure, reinforcing feelings of joy and satisfaction.
Long after you've viewed the art, its impact lingers. The hippocampus, which helps store and retrieve memories, holds onto the unique visual stimuli, incorporating them into your cognitive map. This ongoing neural engagement can have profound effects on mood, mental health, emotional health, behavior, and perspective. It encourages a positive mood uplift and can contribute to a more resilient mental state by providing a new way of seeing everyday environments, thus promoting a sustained sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around us.
The transformative power of art, especially when it challenges and reconfigures our perceptions, is a testament to the complex interplay between sensory input and cognitive processing. It highlights how art is not just seen but felt, experienced, and remembered, enriching our lives and broadening our horizons.
“Stillness” - Wade Lagoon at Cleveland Museum of Art in University Circle
