A Harvard neurobiologist explains how vision works, citing the scientific origins of artistic genius and providing coverage of such topics as optical illusions and the correlation between learning disabilities and artistic skill.
The impact of this book on me was comparable to that of Edward TufteÆs 1983 book, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Graphics Press). It contains the same sort of groundbreaking, far reaching discoveries and conclusions that are likely to affect profoundly all the fields that it discusses, from visual cognition to art interpretation. This work is wonderfully illustrated throughout and begins with a thorough description of exactly what light is and how it behaves, and how the colors we see are extracted from reflected and transmitted light, as well as through interference of light waves with one another and with themselves. This first chapter also contains one of the most lucid and easily understood descriptions I have read of how Day-Glo pigments achieve their magic of reflecting more light in a particular wavelength than there was light of that wavelength that strikes them. Following this is a chapter on how our eyes are able to see three colors, including red, when, unlike some invertebrates and fish, we donÆt have any cones with sensitivity that peaks in the red part of the spectrum. The secret lies in the fact that color vision derives in part by the comparison of the output of one cone with the output of other, nearby cones. Through this system of output ratios, each frequency of light produces a distinct code of response by the three photoreceptors we do possess that is unambiguously interpreted by our visual system representing that specific color. A particularly nice section in this chapter is the discussion of how we could easily see all colors of the spectrum with only two types of cones, rather than the three that we possess, if only those two were designed better. They point out that the main reason three are actually needed is because cones evolved, rather than having been designed by a knowledgeable engineer. This discussion provides an excellent counter to the antievolution arguments propounded by the current crop of Intelligent Design movement activists. Our red cone pigment gene, for example, is derived by duplication of our green cone pigment gene, and only minor modifications of this newly derived pigment shifted the absorption peak slightly toward the red. It is, in fact, only the higher primates that see all three primary colors well. Lower primates only see colors with two types of cones and so see the world much as do people with red/green color blindness. A primary reason we may have evolved a third type of cone is because it allows us to better separate red, ripe fruit from green foliage. Perceptive and fascinating factual tidbits of this type are sprinkled throughout the book and make its text particularly lively.This chapter ends with a discussion of how various forms of color blindness affect art appreciation and our interpretation of the worldÆs colors. Chapter three, Luminance and Vision, begins to dissect the subtle and intricate interplay between what we see physically and what we consciously perceive, a theme that is continued for much of the rest of the book. In this chapter, and throughout the book, the illustrations are masterfully chosen to demonstrate the concepts being discussed. Here, for example, a color and a black-and-white version of PicassoÆs The Tragedy (Poor People on the Seashore) (1903) are shown side by side to demonstrate the role of luminance, i.e., how bright people judge an object to be in our interpretation of a paintingÆs content. Even more striking is the comparison of the black-and-white reproduction of MonetÆs Impression Sunrise (1872) to its color version. The virtual invisibility of the sun amongst the dark clouds in the black-and-white version is quite remarkable and is a wonderful example of the difference between luminance and brightness. This chapter also contains the first instance of an optical illusion that illustrates particular physiological phenomenon, in this case, the Purkinje shift, in which, in low light, a blue bowl appears brighter than the red cherries it contains, while in full sunlight, the two have nearly equal luminance. From here on, the use of such illusions plays an integral and fascinating role in demonstrating how what we see is often more a matter of interpretation than it is an exact capture of the information that enters through our eyesÆ lenses. Here and throughout the book, it is stressed that "vision is information processing, not image transmission." (p. 53). This concept cannot be stressed too much.One of the most important concepts in the book is introduced in chapter four: Where and What vision. Where vision is that portion that perceives motion, depth, spatial organization and figure/background separation. What vision, by contrast, is involved with object recognition, color, and complex detail perception. While this is a somewhat simplistic description of these components of vision, the examples are nonetheless instructive. Again, the way in which these two contrasting systems arose through evolution is explored in detail (p. 52). Another important concept introduced in this chapter is the center/surround construction of a typical retinal ganglion cell, providing a system where the light falling on the central regions of the ganglion can suppress the activity in surrounding areas. As the author points out here, and illustrates here and in many other places in the book, this center/surround organization "is responsible for many features of our visual perception." (p. 53)I will not describe every chapter of this impressive book, since it is far more important that this work be read than that one only read a critique of it. Suffice it to say that coming to understand its content has the potential to profoundly affect the way in which you will comprehend art, landscapes, or any other visual image. Just the remarkable scintillating grid illusion on pages 56-57, and its even more remarkable variant on the end paper, are splendid examples of how such illusions can illustrate important components of our visual system.Through this book I, for one, have lost a lot of my artistic naiveté through the study, and have gained at least a partial understanding of how to understand the source of the impressions that art has on me. What makes this work particularly engaging is that it is the first attempt to comprehensively review this particular and important area of science, an area that is closely allied to all our understanding of the world as a whole. It is certain that a new edition will be called for in five years and yet another in ten. Science, Nature and other journals that cover experimental fronts in vision research are adding to our knowledge so quickly that even as I was reading this book, new discoveries that would extend and elaborate its conclusions, and sometimes even counter some of them, were making headlines in this field. Indeed, not all areas of discussion are equally persuasive, nor every illustration entirely convincing of the example the author is attempting to convey, but this is a field still in its infancy and many of these concepts are still under discussion or are controversial. No field of research better marries science and art than does the study and analysis of how we physically perceive, visualize and interpret the content of the physical world in which we are immersed, including the art it contains. The authorÆs clarification of the prominent role the physiology of vision plays in the experience and evaluation of art amply demonstrates that the combination of seeing and interpreting the outside world are integral parts of a holistic, combined experience. There is simply no way that these two experiential worlds can be rent apart without destroying both. This work should be read and reread by every artist and every art enthusiast and it should become a standard textbook in every art appreciation or history course, as well in every course on art technique. In spite of its coffee table format, this is a book to read, not merely a book to own.Reviewer: Lloyd Davidson, Life Sciences Librarian, Head, access Services and Kaplan Humanities Fellow, Northwestern University Seeley G. Mudd Library for Science and Engineering,
ldavids@nwu.edu Copyright 2004 E-Streams Reviews.
This book is for anyone who has wondered why the Mona Lisa's smile is so haunting or how artists manage to give depth or motion to a two-dimensional piece of art. Not only does Livingstone (neurobiology, Harvard Medical Sch.) clearly explain these things but she also shows how vision works from eye to brain, and she provides fun experiments to illustrate her observations. The book is lavishly illustrated (150 illustrations, 100 in color), with excellent captions that can stand alone for those who prefer to browse. But it is well worth reading the whole book. The practical examples explaining how vision works greatly help the understanding of the process of vision. This unique book helps readers learn about color, luminescence, the What and Where systems, how problems with these systems affect vision, and more. Essential for academic libraries supporting art and neurobiology programs, this is also an excellent book for any library because it is so well written and illustrated. Margaret Henderson, Cold Spring Harbor Lab. Lib., NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Harvard Medical School neurobiology professor Margaret S. Livingstone explains how great artists exploit the functions of the human eye and brain in Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing. Livingstone, whose biological explanation of why the Mona Lisa's smile appears enigmatic stirred much interest when it appeared in the New York Times, here offers a detailed explanation of how elements like perspective, luminance, color mixing, shading and chiaroscuro produce certain effects in art works. She discusses da Vinci's use of contrast, the illusory three-dimensionality of Impressionist paintings and why Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie gives the impression of motion. (June) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
