More Than Meets the Eye: Art Engages the Social Brain
Here we present the viewpoint that art essentially engages the social brain, by demonstrating how art processing maps onto the social brain connectome—the most comprehensive diagram of the neural dynamics that regulate human social cognition to date. We start with a brief history of the rise of neur...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.738865/full |
| _version_ | 1818319758014021632 |
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| author | Janneke E. P. van Leeuwen Janneke E. P. van Leeuwen Jeroen Boomgaard Danilo Bzdok Sebastian J. Crutch Jason D. Warren |
| author_facet | Janneke E. P. van Leeuwen Janneke E. P. van Leeuwen Jeroen Boomgaard Danilo Bzdok Sebastian J. Crutch Jason D. Warren |
| author_sort | Janneke E. P. van Leeuwen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Here we present the viewpoint that art essentially engages the social brain, by demonstrating how art processing maps onto the social brain connectome—the most comprehensive diagram of the neural dynamics that regulate human social cognition to date. We start with a brief history of the rise of neuroaesthetics as the scientific study of art perception and appreciation, in relation to developments in contemporary art practice and theory during the same period. Building further on a growing awareness of the importance of social context in art production and appreciation, we then set out how art engages the social brain and outline candidate components of the “artistic brain connectome.” We explain how our functional model for art as a social brain phenomenon may operate when engaging with artworks. We call for closer collaborations between the burgeoning field of neuroaesthetics and arts professionals, cultural institutions and diverse audiences in order to fully delineate and contextualize this model. Complementary to the unquestionable value of art for art’s sake, we argue that its neural grounding in the social brain raises important practical implications for mental health, and the care of people living with dementia and other neurological conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:14:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-87309ef6d3b64354bcdc369761d04ab3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:14:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-87309ef6d3b64354bcdc369761d04ab32022-12-21T23:51:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2022-02-011610.3389/fnins.2022.738865738865More Than Meets the Eye: Art Engages the Social BrainJanneke E. P. van Leeuwen0Janneke E. P. van Leeuwen1Jeroen Boomgaard2Danilo Bzdok3Sebastian J. Crutch4Jason D. Warren5Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United KingdomThe Thinking Eye, ACAVA Limehouse Arts Foundation, London, United KingdomResearch Group Art and Public Space, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, ON, CanadaDementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United KingdomDementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United KingdomHere we present the viewpoint that art essentially engages the social brain, by demonstrating how art processing maps onto the social brain connectome—the most comprehensive diagram of the neural dynamics that regulate human social cognition to date. We start with a brief history of the rise of neuroaesthetics as the scientific study of art perception and appreciation, in relation to developments in contemporary art practice and theory during the same period. Building further on a growing awareness of the importance of social context in art production and appreciation, we then set out how art engages the social brain and outline candidate components of the “artistic brain connectome.” We explain how our functional model for art as a social brain phenomenon may operate when engaging with artworks. We call for closer collaborations between the burgeoning field of neuroaesthetics and arts professionals, cultural institutions and diverse audiences in order to fully delineate and contextualize this model. Complementary to the unquestionable value of art for art’s sake, we argue that its neural grounding in the social brain raises important practical implications for mental health, and the care of people living with dementia and other neurological conditions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.738865/fullartneuroaestheticscreativitysocial brainconnectomemental health |
| spellingShingle | Janneke E. P. van Leeuwen Janneke E. P. van Leeuwen Jeroen Boomgaard Danilo Bzdok Sebastian J. Crutch Jason D. Warren More Than Meets the Eye: Art Engages the Social Brain Frontiers in Neuroscience art neuroaesthetics creativity social brain connectome mental health |
| title | More Than Meets the Eye: Art Engages the Social Brain |
| title_full | More Than Meets the Eye: Art Engages the Social Brain |
| title_fullStr | More Than Meets the Eye: Art Engages the Social Brain |
| title_full_unstemmed | More Than Meets the Eye: Art Engages the Social Brain |
| title_short | More Than Meets the Eye: Art Engages the Social Brain |
| title_sort | more than meets the eye art engages the social brain |
| topic | art neuroaesthetics creativity social brain connectome mental health |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.738865/full |
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