Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain

Amazon.com

Why do we find it hard to explain why art is beautiful? Perhaps it is because the visual system of the human brain is much more developed than its language centers, as it has had far longer--millions of years--to evolve. Semir Zeki believes that we can only reach a better understanding of art as we learn more about the operations of the visual brain.

Zeki demonstrates that the simple act of seeing is a profoundly artistic activity. Separating out the mass of geometrical and spectral information received through the eye to arrive at a visual perception is a complex and creative process. Zeki traces the functional similarities of the artist and the seeing brain. "Just as the brain searches for constancies and essentials," Zeki writes, "so does art.... It is those attributes of vision [to which] the brain has assigned specialised processing systems ... that have primacy in art. Among those one can include colour, form, motion, faces, facial expressions and even body language."

Zeki's examples are varied and convincing. For example, he explores the relationship between modern works that have emphasized lines and the reaction of cells in the brain that work on lines of specific orientation. More ambitiously, he even outlines the neurological bases of Fauvism and Cubism!

T.S. Eliot said that using language to discuss art was "a raid on the inarticulate, with shabby equipment." In Inner Vision, that pejorative statement acquires a heroic mantle: no artist worth the name and no one who enjoys visual beauty can afford to ignore the insights contained in this book. --Simon Ings, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

The work of the artist and the science of vision may seem distantly related as subjects. However, When Leonardo da Vinci wrote that, of all the colours, the most pleasing are the ones which constitute opponents, he was uttering a physical truth about the visual brain. Inner Vision is the first attempt to relate the science of vision to art. Using a range of examples from artists including Michaelangelo, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Magritte, Malevich, and Picasso, Semir Zeki takes the reader on an aesthetic tour of the brain. He describes in compelling detail how different areas of the brain respond to elements of the visual arts such as colour, form, line, and motion, and argues that our experience of art relates strongly to the neuroanatomy of the visual cortex. Combining beautiful illustrations, rich insights, and entertaining prose, Inner Vision will be enthralling for scientists and artists alike. "Dr Zeki is one of the three founders of modern visual science. He has undertaken an ambitious project and has in my opinion succeeded admirably. The book is very readable and full of fascinating insights. It will appeal to a very wide audience including artists, neurologists, psychologists, and philosophers." V Ramachandran, University of California

Customer Reviews:

Brain, Biology and Bueaty.......2006-02-19

Neuroscientists have for a long been looking inside the brain to understand its function. Semir Zeki, in this book proposes the unconventional idea of looking into the most beautiful products of brain, visual art of instance, to understand the functioning of brain. Citing examples of Shakesphere and Wagner, he goes further to propose that some artists might be thought of as neurologists, "for they at least did know how to probe the mind of humans with the techniques of language and of music and understood perhaps better than most what it takes to move the mind of human". By showing the striking features of the patients studied by himself and others, he gives compelling evidence that vision is not a singular process and there are parts of brain that are dedicated to various functions such as color, form, motion etc. He writes about patients who have damaged a part of the visual brain (V4) and sees the world in dark shades of grey. Similarly, patients with damage in V5 neither see nor understand motion. They only see discontinuous static images. They for instance cannot see the rising level of a drink in a glass and the drink always overflows. Then he describes a patient with damage to a certain region in cortex, who cannot recognize faces. This person can visualize lines and objects but simply cannot recognize faces. All of these abilities that seem so simple and effortless to all of us normal people -- it's only when something goes wrong we realize how extraordinarily subtle the mechanisms of vision really are and how complexly integrated a process it really is.

For readers who are not familiar with visual arts, this book will give you a condensed idea about different branches of paintings and what the painter was trying to achieve. I found it interesting. The book itself has an aesthetic appeal and the publisher deserves kudos for the page layout and cover design. Although I do not share the degree of skepticism that my fellow reviewer drollere has, I think this book has its own limitations. For instance the cases of these patients have been described elsewhere ranging from Steven Pinkers- How Mind Works to some articles/lectures of VS Ramachandran. The concept of `micro consciousness' raised in this book is ill-defined and misleading and it has to be separated from the core consciousness defined by Antonio Damasio.

this has little to do with art.......2003-03-31

as someone with a doctorate in psychology who has retired to a life of intensive painting, i can say this book falls short in its fundamental premise: if we can identify a distinct visual capability in the brain, that capability forms the basis for visual esthetic judgments. that argument unfortunately goes nowhere, and the result is a thin book with its substantive content spread even thinner.

zeki's argument is roughly that the mind is an active creator of visual experience; that we create visual experience using a variety of "modular" cerebral functions (specific neighborhoods of the brain that detect edges, analyze movement, perceive color, recognize faces); and that art works which "appeal" to these modular capabilities provide the foundation for art. claims that art that becomes "great" if the mind is presented with ambiguous or multiple interpretations, provoking it to "actively create" varied interpretations from the work in view. in this way zeki hopes to reason his way toward a "neurological esthetics," a biologically based prescription of what is beautiful or compelling art.

well, where to begin ... because a brain function is invoked by a stimulus does not make it interesting or great; my review invokes your language capabilities, but that doesn't make my words poetry. a painting does not succeed by creating a variety of specific but competing interpretations, as zeki claims, but by reframing awareness into a realm where the mundane categorizations necessary for behavior are stretched by the exercise of the senses. what counts as beautiful cannot be determined from the quantitative activity of different brain regions. what counts as beautiful depends heavily on cultural expectations, not on physiology ... on and on the objections roll.

in the end, zeki's argument is highly parochial. his examples come from the "edge detection" art of the supremacists or the cubists; the "color perception" art of the fauves, the "movement perception" art of calder, and so on -- simplistic art for simplistic art theories. (someone should ask, where are the edges in monet or turner, the color in kline or velazquez, the movement in vermeer or van dyck?) on the philosophical side, zeki seems willing to cite plato or hegel as straw men to knock down, but seems completely unaware of the many philosophical or social psychological theorists who could enrich his "active construction" view of visual perception. finally, zeki seems not to have had a personal colloquy with practicing artists, who could disabuse him of his naive reading of western art and its traditions.

psychologists will find this book to be unexpectedly thin on the facts of recent neural research and cognitive function, and lacking in philosophical depth. artists will look at zeki's simplistic reading of art and art history, shrug and wonder, what is this guy talking about?

Stimulating, honest and inspiring.......2000-09-20

"Fresh air" is the best definition of Seki's book on art and brain. Innovative for neuroscientists and artists, it proposes a comprehensive, yet speculative (i.e., stimulating), vision on neuroaestethics. You won't read neither a neurosciences book, nor an art one. It's both... and more.

What studying brain cells can tell us about art.......2000-03-15

I was deeply fascinated by this book: because it provides compelling evidence that certain aspects of the way we perceive art can be explained by the physiological properties of nerve cells in the visual brain. Zeki illustrates this point most strikingly at examples of modern art. He proposes that many modern artists have unknowingly created visual stimuli that are optimally tailored to the response properties of neurons in specific subregions of the visual processing stream. Zeki's writing is extremely lucid, with a good portion of irony, and excellent illustrations increase the pleasure or reading this book.

What studying brain cells can tell us about art.......2000-03-04

I found this book extremely fascinating: Because it provides compelling evidence that certain aspects of our aesthetic experience when looking at paintings can be understood in terms of the physiological properties of neurons in the visual brain. It is written lucidly, with beautiful illustrations.

Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain

Average customer rating:

Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain
Semir Zeki
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKT2XM

Book Description

My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole. I get excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my actions, mock idiots and posers, sleep with more women than is safe or reasonable, and just generally act like a raging dickhead. But, I do contribute to humanity in one very important way: I share my adventures with the world. —from the Introduction Actual reader feedback:

"I am completely baffled as to how you can congratulate yourself for being a womanizer and a raging drunk, or think anyone cares about an idiot like you. Do you really think that exploiting the insecurities of others while getting wasted is a legitimate thing to offer?"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you—for sharing with us your wonderful tales of drunken revelry, for teaching me what it means to be a man, for just existing so I know that there is another option; I too can say `screw the system' and be myself and have fun. My life truly began when I finished reading your stories. Now, when faced with a quandary about what course of action I should take, I just ask myself, `What Would Tucker Do?'—and I do it, and I am a better man for it."

"I find it truly appalling that there are people in the world like you. You are a disgusting, vile, repulsive, repugnant, foul creature. Because of you, I don't believe in God anymore. No just God would allow someone like you to exist."

"I'll stay with God as my lord, but you are my savior. I just finished reading your brilliant stories, and I laughed so hard I almost vomited. I want to bring that kind of joy to people. You're an artist of the highest order and a true humanitarian to boot. I'm in both shock and awe at how much I want to be you."

"You are the coolest person I can even imagine existing. If you slept with my girlfriend, it'd make me love her more."

Customer Reviews:

No Socially Redeeming Qualities Except He's Funny.......2007-10-03

Tucker Max, the author, is a narcissistic, alcoholic, egomaniacal, sexist pig with the morals of an alley cat in heat, but he has one redeeming quality. He is funny! This book is the story of his adventures, and while the conduct is contemptible, he has a gift with words and phrases, which make what he writes humorous. In addition, it is his frat boy antics that land him in many of the situations that are so funny.

Karma will one day land in Tucker Max's lap and cause him unmerciful grief. Until that day happens, however, he will continue to be a pig and will continue to write about it. If you're female, and think you don't want to read this because he is so bad, think again. It's a great lesson in how some males behave!

In retrospect, not that great.......2007-10-01

I bought this when it first came out and I enjoyed it at the time. While I had read most of the stories off the website, the new ones were kind of interesting insofar I wanted to see what Tucker Max would add to his collection of debauchery and drunkenness.

After reading it again lately, I realized that it'll be a forgettable piece of pop literature within about two years. The stories are fine but pretty rinse and repeat. There are only so many ways you can throw up, have sex with women, and insult people before it gets tired. The writing itself is nothing special and once the content gets thin the book falls apart. [...].

While it might make the best seller list, IHTSBIN will be forgotten quickly once anyone with even a slightly better writing style comes along. Unique? Maybe. Groundbreaking and important? Not at all.

HILARIOUS.......2007-09-28

This book is very funny. The key is to not take it too seriously or you might think it is vulgar and rude. Overall a hilarious take on drinking and sex. Perfect for a night of reading and drinking a beer or two!

Lost your balls? get them back here........2007-09-27

So i was a little skeptical about how entertaining it would be to read the drunken (mis)adventures of Tucker Max, Duke Law Student. I read this book faster than I've ever read a book before and boy was it entertaining. I almost laughed out loud on the bus a couple times while reading it. If you can't see the humor in situations where women are treated like sex objects then don't read this. If you don't think it's funny to drunk drive a car into a bakery and leave the scene without a trace, don't read this book. If you don't think it's funny to f@ck a fat girl and then throw her clothes out the window and make her run out the front door so your roomates don't see her, don't read this book. Get it. Good.

One of the funniest books I've ever read.......2007-09-26

Rarely does a book make me laugh out loud. The last one was "A Nasty Bit of Rough"...but if you don't like golf you should avoid it.

If all the stories in here are true, and I'll bet they are, how in the hell is he still alive? Between his psychotic friends, his raging addiction to vodka and his insatiable sex drive, most mortal men would be either pushing up daisies or resting comfortably in a padded cell.

Tucker is a great storyteller and you are cheating yourself out of a ton of laughs by not reading this one. Bra - freaking - vo!

Average customer rating:

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
Tucker Max
Manufacturer: Citadel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GM0B6A

Average customer rating:

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
Tucker Max
Manufacturer: Citadel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SIFI6U

Book Description

Peter Bogdanovich, known primarily as a director, film historian and critic, has been working with professional actors all his life. He started out as an actor (he debuted on the stage in his sixth-grade production of Finian’s Rainbow); he watched actors work (he went to the theater every week from the age of thirteen and saw every important show on, or off, Broadway for the next decade); he studied acting, starting at sixteen, with Stella Adler (his work with her became the foundation for all he would ever do as an actor and a director).

Now, in his new book, Who the Hell’s in It, Bogdanovich draws upon a lifetime of experience, observation and understanding of the art to write about the actors he came to know along the way; actors he admired from afar; actors he worked with, directed, befriended. Among them: Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, John Cassavetes, Charlie Chaplin, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, Henry Fonda, Ben Gazzara, Audrey Hepburn, Boris Karloff, Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe, River Phoenix, Sidney Poitier, Frank Sinatra, and James Stewart.
Bogdanovich captures—in their words and his—their work, their individual styles, what made them who they were, what gave them their appeal and why they’ve continued to be America’s iconic actors.

On Lillian Gish: “the first virgin hearth goddess of the screen . . . a valiant and courageous symbol of fortitude and love through all distress.”

On Marlon Brando: “He challenged himself never to be the same from picture to picture, refusing to become the kind of film star the studio system had invented and thrived upon—the recognizable human commodity each new film was built around . . . The funny thing is that Brando’s charismatic screen persona was vividly apparent despite the multiplicity of his guises . . . Brando always remains recognizable, a star-actor in spite of himself. ”

Jerry Lewis to Bogdanovich on the first laugh Lewis ever got onstage: “I was five years old. My mom and dad had a tux made—I worked in the borscht circuit with them—and I came out and I sang, ‘Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?’ the big hit at the time . . . It was 1931, and I stopped the show—naturally—a five-year-old in a tuxedo is not going to stop the show? And I took a bow and my foot slipped and hit one of the floodlights and it exploded and the smoke and the sound scared me so I started to cry. The audience laughed—they were hysterical . . . So I knew I had to get the rest of my laughs the rest of my life, breaking, sitting, falling, spinning.”

John Wayne to Bogdanovich, on the early years of Wayne’s career when he was working as a prop man: “Well, I’ve naturally studied John Ford professionally as well as loving the man. Ever since the first time I walked down his set as a goose-herder in 1927. They needed somebody from the prop department to keep the geese from getting under a fake hill they had for Mother Machree at Fox. I’d been hired because Tom Mix wanted a box seat for the USC football games, and so they promised jobs to Don Williams and myself and a couple of the players. They buried us over in the properties department, and Mr. Ford’s need for a goose-herder just seemed to fit my pistol.”
These twenty-six portraits and conversations are unsurpassed in their evocation of a certain kind of great movie star that has vanished. Bogdanovich’s book is a celebration and a farewell.

Customer Reviews:

This is OK.......2006-08-11

This book is okay. Some of the stories are good, others are pretty lame. Irritating how Peter B. takes every opportunity to remind you that he used to bang Cybill Shepherd.

Classic Hollywood.......2006-03-13

If you love the old movies and their stars, you'll love reading Mr. B's reminiscences. He met and worked with so many of them! His wonderful writing style is conversational, not scholarly, which is not to say that he doesn't know his subject. Peter Bogdonovich loves and understands movies and moviemaking, and has a great appreciation for actors and actresses. His book is a great read!!

Uneven, but a few good chapters.......2005-03-09

Peter Bogdanovich, the director of such films as The Last Picture Show and The Cat's Meow, has compiled in this book a group of essays, each one about a specific actor, many, if not all, of them legendary (the actors, not the essays). The actors range from Stella Adler, the legendary acting coach, to River Phoenix, the tragic model for fatal drug overdoses.

Some of the chapters are less involving than others, and this can be attributed to Bogdanovich's limited relationships with some of the subjects in the book. However, some of the chapters are also incredibly gripping, as Bogdanovich paints personal portraits of those close to him throughout his years in film.

My personal favorite chapter was about the aforementioned Phoenix, who was a train wreck waiting to happen, but as Bogdanovich tells it, he was also an unbelievable talent and just a great guy to be around - that is, while he was still around.

The other actor that really captured my attention was John Cassevetes, who is probably more well-known as a pioneering director and producer of independent films. Bogdo (as Cassevetes referred to him) is able to explain some of Cassevetes's genius and cavalier attitude towards filmmaking, which was basically "I'm making this film the way I want - you're either in or out." You just have to respect that.

Overall, the book is uneven, and it almost has to be, with such a wide array of Peter-profiled personalities. This gets a recommendation for those interested in classic Hollywood film lore and the "real" lives of screen legends.

The stories are great..........2004-11-03

though, as someone else said, some are disapointingly short, others are way too long. The biggest problem with Bogdanovich's homage to actors is him, or, more properly, his ego. Someone reading it really doesn't care if PB knew them or not; they care about the star he's discussing. Maybe Pete should write an autobiography so he can keep his other books pure.

25 Chapters on 25 Hollywood Stars By One of their Own.......2004-10-13

I picked up this book and flipping through it came upon some still pictures of John Wayne from several of his movies. This made me turn the pages back to the beginning of that chapter and read it. Then I turned the page and the next chapter was Henry Fonda. I was getting tired of standing up so I took it home with me.

The author has been working with actors virtually all of his life. And he has done this, not as a reporter, but as one of their own. He's acted, directed, written, just about everything in the movie business. In this book he is not writing from second hand reports, he knew and associated with the people he is writing about. Well in a few cases he knew people around them, like Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe's husband.

This book has 25 chapters, one each for 25 of the most memorable people Hollywood has produced.

Book Description

Over the past century, the Philadelphia Orchestra has earned its reputation as one of the finest orchestras in the world. Philadelphia Maestros tells the tale of this marvelous orchestra through the tenures of three conductors: Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, and Wolfgang Sawallisch. With their singular approaches to sound and public image, all three maestros left an indelible mark on the Orchestra, and the cultural life of the city of Philadelphia.

A lifelong fan and scholar of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Phyllis White Rodríguez-Peralta paints intimate portraits of the conductors using archival material and interviews with musicians, including pianists Gary Graffman and Lang Lang, and violinist Sarah Chang. Rodríguez-Peralta's text captivates as she recounts Eugene Ormandy's performance as a last-minute substitute for guest conductor Arturo Toscanini; Riccardo Muti's magnetic presence and international fame; and the role of Wolfgang Sawallisch in moving the Orchestra to its grand new hall at the Kimmel Center.

Engaging and entertaining, Philadelphia Maestros will be a welcome addition to any aficionado's bookshelf.

Customer Reviews:

Philadelphia Maestros.......2007-08-27

"Philadelphia Maestros," a new book by Phyllis Rodriguez-Peralta, is a delightful and informative account of the careers of three great conductors of the Philadelphia Orchestra: Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti and Wolfgang Sawallisch. The author shows, with great skill, how the talents and personalities of these three maestros shaped the growth of the orchestra. Charming pictures of the maestros are interspersed throughout the text. This book is a "must read" for the many lovers of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Engaging and Beautifully Written.......2007-07-18

Philadelphia Maestros by Phyllis Rodriguez-Peralta is an engaging, beautifully written book which opens the world of the Philadelphia Orchestra and its three conductors -- Ormandy, Muti, Sawallisch -- to the reader. I regularly attend the Philadelphia Orchestra concerts, and having read this informative book will make me appreciate and enjoy these events even more.
William J Calvano, PhD

For Novices to the Topic Only.......2006-04-07

This book may be of some use to novices to the topic who want a cursory look at the lives and careers of Ormandy, Muti and Sawallisch, but it's not going to be of much use to anyone who already has even a moderate degree of familiarity with the subject matter.
At times, it reads like a high school book report; with just one fact after another, almost in list fasion. And none of the facts are going to be surprising to people who have already done some reading (whether it be other books or on the Internet) on these three conductors.
Barry

Average customer rating:

Good book - very thorough and well organized

Amazing resource

Great book, but leaves out a few things

The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
Tanya L. K. Denckla
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Organic | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Book Description

Before it was a book, The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food was organic gardener Tanya L. K. Denckla's highly prized personal database, the distillation of years of careful research and hands-on, real-life, dirt-under-the-fingernails experience in growing her own vegetables, herbs, fruits, and nuts. Now available to all, this easy-to-read sourcebook offers much to gardeners of all skill levels, answering questions quickly and authoritatively so more time can be spent enjoying the garden. Six comprehensive chapters cover vegetables, fruits and nuts, herbs, organic remedies, and allies and companions. Within each chapter plants are arranged alphabetically, making needed information eminently accessible. Individual plant entries provide specific information on planting; temperature; soil and water needs; measurements; seed-starting dates; pests, diseases, allies, companions, and incompatibles, as applicable; when to harvest; how to store produce; and overviews of selected varieties. Fully half of the book is dedicated to organic remedies that can prevent or combat plant diseases and garden pests. Hundreds of common diseases and pests are discussed, as well as which plants are likely to be affected, how to recognize the problem, and tried-and-true natural remedies. The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food demystifies how to work collaboratively with the complex natural systems of the environment, making gardening a little easier and definitely more fun.

Customer Reviews:

Good book - very thorough and well organized.......2007-05-17

I would have given this book 5 starts except that the section on pest control, which is very important to an organic gardener names the pests and suggests control solutions but shows you no pictures of the pests so if you don't know what the various insects (or for that matter diseases) look like, that's not helpful.

Otherwise the book is well organized and contains a lot of useful information, especially in regard to what plants are allys and incompatible

Amazing resource.......2006-08-29

This book is a marvel. I have given it to all of my gardening friends and regularly consult it for specifics on many vegetables. I highly recommend it!

Great book, but leaves out a few things.......2004-05-25

Tons of fabulous information in this book, but it unfortunately leaves out quite a few things that I am interested in growing... bananas, oranges, tangerines, avocadoes, mangoes, lemons, limes, and starfruit to name a few. It is, however, the best resource for herbs that I've seen so far.

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