Cognitive and Emotional Organization of the Brain: Influences on the Creation and Perception of Art

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the cognitive and emotional organization of the brain and its influences on the creation and perception of art. The making of art is commonly viewed as one of the most sublime manifestations of the unique human capacity to represent information and depict meaning in symbolic form. As such, it is the singular product of the unparalleled human cortex, the functional capacities of which are far more complex and elaborate than those of any other form of animal life. Neuropsychologists, who study brain–behavior relationships, have been intrigued by the manner in which the distinctive structures and functions that characterize the cortex are involved in the creation and appreciation of art. The chapter presents evidence that various aspects of brain organization play a role in both the creation of art and the appreciation of art. It reviews the ways in which each hemisphere is involved in particular aspects of the creative process and explains that damage to the brain can influence artistic creation in many ways. The chapter also shows that that the composition of a work of art may be influenced by asymmetric brain activity, and that people respond differently to pictures depending on where the information is located.

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