Statement
As a neuroscientist and studio artist, I have found that combining science and art can help spread understanding of current research to the public as well as awareness of important social issues and their relation to science. Neuroscience is at the forefront of explaining human experience, our relationship to technology, and our understanding of behavior, while art is at the forefront of communicating ideas and emotions that are necessary in maintaining the ethics of scientific research. By pulling the two together, I aim to join the conversation that links data with humanity.
In this series, I have focused on the relationship between visual art and the way the brain influences visual perception. Everything we see is a representation of our surroundings, but it is not absolute; so much of what we perceive is based on attention, expectations, and internal interpretations that take place within the dark, gelatinous organ forever separated from the rest of the world. A small difference in the encoding or decoding of visual input can drastically alter the way we perceive the world around us.
This series is inspired by a disability called Meares Irlen Syndrome (MIS), also known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome. I was diagnosed with this visual perceptual disability in third grade after struggling to learn to read. Although Meares Irlen Syndrome is primarily associated with difficulties in reading, the distortions extend to any high-contrast pattern in the everyday world. MIS causes distortions such as warping, flashing, after-images in pinks and greens, and visual snow. MIS makes reading very difficult, but it also affects the everyday world as well. While I have generally thought of MIS as an obstacle, incorporating it into my art has helped me realize that in many ways, the distortions I observe are beautiful and unique. The images I chose for this series are patterns that produce particularly strong distortions, but they are also tied to very specific memories and places. The paintings are thus distorted both visually and emotionally, and each viewer will perceive them differently depending on their own experiences.
In this series, I have focused on the relationship between visual art and the way the brain influences visual perception. Everything we see is a representation of our surroundings, but it is not absolute; so much of what we perceive is based on attention, expectations, and internal interpretations that take place within the dark, gelatinous organ forever separated from the rest of the world. A small difference in the encoding or decoding of visual input can drastically alter the way we perceive the world around us.
This series is inspired by a disability called Meares Irlen Syndrome (MIS), also known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome. I was diagnosed with this visual perceptual disability in third grade after struggling to learn to read. Although Meares Irlen Syndrome is primarily associated with difficulties in reading, the distortions extend to any high-contrast pattern in the everyday world. MIS causes distortions such as warping, flashing, after-images in pinks and greens, and visual snow. MIS makes reading very difficult, but it also affects the everyday world as well. While I have generally thought of MIS as an obstacle, incorporating it into my art has helped me realize that in many ways, the distortions I observe are beautiful and unique. The images I chose for this series are patterns that produce particularly strong distortions, but they are also tied to very specific memories and places. The paintings are thus distorted both visually and emotionally, and each viewer will perceive them differently depending on their own experiences.