Illnesses that affect the brain can have varied and surprising side effects. A small portion of autistic
children produce amazing artwork, for example Nadia (studied by Selfe in 1977) began drawing
extremely detailed pictures of horses at the age of 3.
extremely detailed pictures of horses at the age of 3.
People suffering from epilepsy or migraines can suffer visual phenomena including spectral
appearances, patches of visual loss and mosaic visions which can result in inspired art such as that of
Ignatius Brennan who began drawing his migraine induced visions in art school, and Steven Wiltshire
a British autistic savant who is famous for his extremely detailed cityscapes
appearances, patches of visual loss and mosaic visions which can result in inspired art such as that of
Ignatius Brennan who began drawing his migraine induced visions in art school, and Steven Wiltshire
a British autistic savant who is famous for his extremely detailed cityscapes
Even as art can affect your senses and neurological state it seems that the reverse is true as well; an
altered neurological state can have a profound effect on artistic and creative abilities
altered neurological state can have a profound effect on artistic and creative abilities
Early Neurological Expressionism in Art
Artists have been trying to alter or affect our state of mind for many years. Escher has hurt our
brains and tricked our eyes with impossible pictures and Abstract Expressionism was born in New
York around the idea of expressing emotion through art, taking ideas from European surrealists who
had arrived in the US.
Artists have been trying to alter or affect our state of mind for many years. Escher has hurt our
brains and tricked our eyes with impossible pictures and Abstract Expressionism was born in New
York around the idea of expressing emotion through art, taking ideas from European surrealists who
had arrived in the US.
Synaesthesia is simply an internally induced form of the effect that artists have been trying to have
on their audience for all of time; creating a work that influences a combination of senses to give the
person viewing it an all round feeling of experiencing the piece of art.
on their audience for all of time; creating a work that influences a combination of senses to give the
person viewing it an all round feeling of experiencing the piece of art.
So if Mondays really are blue to you, or Saturday afternoon smells of chocolate then you are not
alone; and you will make the life of artists worldwide easier by being receptive with more than one
sense to their creation.
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alone; and you will make the life of artists worldwide easier by being receptive with more than one
sense to their creation.
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Jenny Flaire is a freelance art writer from England. She spent much of her youth in NYC where her parents regularly took her to the many galleries in the city starting a fire that has burned ever since.
