Crossing Cultural Borders Universals in Art and Their Biological Roots

CROSSING CULTURAL BORDERS UNIVERSALS IN ART AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL ROOTS is a book written for art lovers. It describes how artists from prehistoric to modern times have exploited brain systems that evolved for survival to create art that viewers around the world admire today. This neuroesthetic approach to art offers new insights into several universal aspects of art and suggests new solutions to old puzzles, for example: Why is balance around the center pleasing? How do viewers recognize movement, emotional states and intentions in persons depicted in art? Why is ‘variety in unity’ (diversity of colors and forms organized in patterns) a universal principle in decorative art? How do artists use their visual memory and mental imagery in creating art? This book includes 52 works of art from cultures around the world and from prehistoric to modern times.