Join us for a conversation with Margaret Livingstone, professor of neurobiology and author of Vision and Art, a fascinating look at the ways in which great painters fool the brain based on how we visually process artwork.

Artists have experimented with vision longer than neurobiologists—and major works of art have provided insights into how we see. Artists have long realized color and luminance can play independent roles in perception, paralleling the “what” and “where” streams of the human visual system. Livingstone will highlight examples, such as the shimmering appearance of Impressionist paintings, to illustrate this segregated processing in the brain. Learn how the differences in central and peripheral vision serve to make the Mona Lisa's smile appear elusive and produce a dynamic illusion in Pointillist paintings. Finally, explore why learning disabilities may be associated with artistic talent and the ways in which artists have identified how our brains extract relevant information about faces.

The conversation will be moderated by Colin Norman, the former News Editor at Science, and Fred Dylla, Executive Director Emeritus of the American Institute of Physics and author of Scientific Journeys. This event is part of the series Science and Society - Making Sense of the World Around Us, launched by the Lewes Public Library last year and co-organized by Fred Dylla and Linda Dylla.

Livingstone’s book Vision and Art has been recently updated and expanded and provides an intriguing and in-depth analysis of the visual phenomena found in major works of art. We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books by clicking HERE. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website. Each copy purchased comes with a signed archival bookplate.

NOTE: this meeting is being conducted through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER to receive instructions for joining the meeting.

If you have need assistance with registration or getting your Zoom invitation, please email us.

Basic written instructions for using Zoom may be found here and a brief video tutorial may be found here. Closed captioning is available for all our sessions. Information on enabling closed captioning in Zoom may be found here.