Vision and Art: The biology of seeing by Margaret Livingstone, Abrams, 拢29,45/$45 ISBN 0810904063 Reviewed by Simon Emory
HOW do we see? And does how we see affect what we like to look at? Vision and Art has the answers. It is an accessible, thought-provoking resource for anyone interested in how the human vision system works. By bridging the gap between the two, often conflicting, disciplines of art and science, Margaret Livingstone sets the agenda for future debate.
She begins by addressing how the eye and brain translate different wavelengths of light into colour and information. Her book gives the reader a strong grounding in visual science and a deeper understanding of the visual arts. Arranged in 12 engaging chapters, she explains various neurobiological processes via clear graphic diagrams, intriguing visual experiments and optical illusions.
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But biology is only the beginning. Livingstone also explains the optical allure of the work of the great masters. Her chapter 鈥淟uminance鈥� is particularly insightful. She explains how low-luminance contrast in art helps to create the illusion of movement, and discusses its relationship to depth, three-dimensionality and spatial organisation.
The book is worth reading just for what it tells you about how we try to make sense out of a complex, dynamic, multidimensional world.
Be prepared to enhance your visual intelligence.