Where Do Artists Come From? A Review of the ‘Typical’ Visually Creative Life and Artistic Brain as a Basis for Discussing Neurodivergence or Neurodegenerative Change

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Pelowski, Matthew and Chamberlain, Rebecca. 2023. Where Do Artists Come From? A Review of the ‘Typical’ Visually Creative Life and Artistic Brain as a Basis for Discussing Neurodivergence or Neurodegenerative Change. In: Alby Richard; Matthew Pelowski and Blanca T. M. Spee, eds. Art and Neurological Disorders: Illuminating the intersection of creativity and the changing brain. Cham, Switzerland: Humana Press, pp. 25-63. ISBN 9783031147234 [Book Section]

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Official URL: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-03...

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For a book devoted to the overlap of visual art making and creativity with the putatively changing brain, it makes sense to talk about what we know of the typical artist and the artistic brain. What are the regions of interest—in fact, are there any—that can be connected to the specific production of art? Are there any particular areas or neurobiological aspects that show differences between more or less successful artists? What, thinking more broadly, techniques, perceptual abilities, cognitive processes, or cultural or life factors may contribute to shaping artistic production and development? What, so to speak, makes an artist? And, returning to the aim of this book itself, might we find some overlap when considering the changing circumstances—be they behavioral or biological—in neurodegenerative disorders? In this chapter, we review these topics, providing a walk-through of the present state of knowledge on art making, as it relates to the brain, but also considering theories and factors underpinning artistic production as well as current arguments on specific factors that may contribute to making art and relatively more successful artists. This is geared primarily at the researcher interested in artistic creativity and/or neurodegeneration but who may not be well-versed in current empirical art study. By putting this collection of findings together, however, it is also our hope that this chapter will be of use to a broader audience and serve as a guide and a set of sign-posts and ideas to navigate the discussions throughout this book.

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Book Section

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https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14724-1_2