Art from the scientific point of view

If you watched the synaethesia talk mentioned in the previous post, you might be interested to know that Dr. Ramachandran also has a theory of art. It is a list of ten points that are claimed to be universal. The original 8 are here. A really great page that presents an interpretation of them plus other related links is here and here.

What I like about this approach is the attempt to ground the theory in biological mechanisms that can be observed. The list taken as a whole sets out to describe a bottom-up description of how art works upon us. The content of the list reflects its scientific point of view, which is what I find interesting.

The impact that top-down thinking influences the perception of art, which includes learned culture, is outside the scope of the 10 rules. In my opinion, the best art significantly engages the viewer in both top-down and bottom-up mode and any robust art theory should account for both. The ten neurological rules would then become chapter one of a larger story.

Synesthesia

A fascinating lecture that about phantom limbs and synesthesia by Professor Ramachandran can be downloaded here. Scroll down to “Nature and nurture in brain function: clues from synesthesia and phantom limbs” under the “Chemistry and Biology” tab. Ramachandran’s theory of synesthesia in a nutshell: extra connections.