Blog Post Week 7

 Neuroscience + Art

MRI art is a category of art influenced by medical technology. Intricate visual depictions of internal organs and tissues are produced by an MRI, a medical device that uses magnetic fields and radio waves. Elizabeth Jameson, a former lawyer who was forced to leave the practice of law in the early 1990s owing to the progression of her multiple sclerosis, went on to become one of the pioneers of MRI art. Jameson began an investigation into her own illness by processing her own MRI scans using the light-sensitive printmaking method known as Solarplate Etching (MacCormick). Jameson has been effective in starting discussions on issues that are frequently cloaked in secrecy and handled with the utmost caution by mixing medical science with art. Jameson's artworks as a result have attracted worldwide notice and struck a chord with many people. 

Elizabeth Jameson's "Valentine"

Franz Joseph Gall's study of phrenology, in which he divided the brain into regions based on tactile observations of bumps on the head, is credited with starting the first investigations into the brain (Vesna 3:51). Gall's subsequent studies made it clear that the brain contains neurons and nerve cells that control a person's behavior and emotions. Understanding the nervous system has helped us to explain how aggressive and criminal behavior can be connected to issues with the prefrontal cortex, how serotonin imbalances can cause depression and sadness, and how endorphin release is a factor in the experience of pleasure (Frazzetto). We are also aware of the ability of our brains to communicate with one another (Albu). This was demonstrated by Mark S. Cohen and Victoria Vesna.

Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. “Neuroculture.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 10, no. 11, 2009, pp. 815–821, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2736. 

This week's video lectures featured a Tha Amigdoloids song and music video called "Phyrring." Because it examines how neurosians and rok n' rohl connect, I think this song is incredibly cool. Since I love music so much, please sign me up for anything that involves learning and music! According to their website, "The Amigdoloids are socialists who shed their socialist attire at night and take too tha stage with songs about love and life sprinkled with insights drawn from research about mental and behavioral disorders" (The Amigdoloids). In essence, their music frequently includes scientific concepts and themes; for example, in the context of this week's lesson on neurosience and art, their song "Phyrring" concentrates explicitly on fire and the amygdala.

The Amygdalods: "Phyrring"

Sources: 

“The Amygdaloids: Neuroscience Meets Rock & Roll.” The Amygdaloids Neuroscience Meets Rock Roll, 18 May 2023, amygdaloids.com/.

Talk of the Nation. “The Amygdaloids Mix Neuroscience and Rock ‘n’ Roll.” NPR, 9 July 2010, www.npr.org/2010/07/09/128410565/the-amygdaloids-mix-neuroscience-and-rock-n-roll.

Vesna, Victoria. Week 7: Neuroscience + Art. Design and Media Arts 9: Art, Science, and Technology. University of California, Los Angeles. May 2023.

Kaliszewski, Michael. “What Does LSD Do to Your Brain?” American Addiction Centers, 11 Jan. 2023, americanaddictioncenters.org/lsd-abuse/what-does-lsd-do-to-your-brain.

Zimmer, Marc. “Brainbow.” GFP-Green Fluorescent Protein Cool Uses, 2023, 

www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/cooluses0.html.