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Art and brain: insights from neuropsychology, biology and evolution
Article first published online: 28 MAY 2009
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01099.x
© 2009 The Author. Journal compilation © 2009 Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Additional Information
How to Cite
Zaidel, D. W. (2010), Art and brain: insights from neuropsychology, biology and evolution. Journal of Anatomy, 216: 177–183. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01099.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 12 JAN 2010
- Article first published online: 28 MAY 2009
- Accepted for publication 21 April 2009 Article published online 28 May 2009
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Keywords:
- aesthetics and brain;
- attraction and hormones;
- beauty and brain;
- brain damage in artists;
- language and art;
- mate selection and art;
- neuroscience and art
Abstract
Art is a uniquely human activity associated fundamentally with symbolic and abstract cognition. Its practice in human societies throughout the world, coupled with seeming non-functionality, has led to three major brain theories of art. (1) The localized brain regions and pathways theory links art to multiple neural regions. (2) The display of art and its aesthetics theory is tied to the biological motivation of courtship signals and mate selection strategies in animals. (3) The evolutionary theory links the symbolic nature of art to critical pivotal brain changes in Homo sapiens supporting increased development of language and hierarchical social grouping. Collectively, these theories point to art as a multi-process cognition dependent on diverse brain regions and on redundancy in art-related functional representation.