Vision and Art (Updated and Expanded Edition)

InVisionandArt,HarvardneurobiologistMargaretLivingstonedemonstratesthathowweseeartdependsultimatelyonthecellsinoureyesandourbrains.InthisnewexpandededitionLivingstonethoroughlyupdatesthisgroundbreakingstudywiththelatestfindingsgatheredfromherresearch,with32additionalpagesofnewtextandimages,including3brandnewchapters.Shebeginsbyofferingacomprehensiveaccountofthebiologyofvision,drawingonthehistoryofscienceandherowncuttingedgediscoveries.Shethenturnstoartanddelvesintothescienceunderlyingvariousphenomenainpainting,usingmanyexamplesfromthemysteriousallureoftheMonaLisatotheamazingatmosphericeffectsoftheimpressioniststoillustrateherpoints.Alongtheway,sheshowshowsimilareffectscanbeusedtoenhancetheimpactofadvertisements,andexploresthedifferentwaysimageslookinpaintings,inphotographs,onTV,andoncomputerscreens.AccompanyingLivingstone'slivelyandlucidprosearemanyeasytounderstandchartsanddiagramsthatclarifyherpoints.Someoftheseillustrationsarebasedonsimpleandelegantexperimentsthatshowushowthehumanvisualsystemtranslateslightintocolor.Othersdemonstratehowcellsintheretinacodeinformationandsendittothebrain.Stillothersshedlightonhowgreatpaintersdevisetechniquestofooltheeyeintoseeingdepthandmovement.Byskillfullybridgingthespacebetweenscienceandart,VisionandArtwillarmartistsanddesignerswithnewtechniquesthattheycanuseintheirowncraftandthrillanyreaderwithaninterestinthebiologyofhumanvision.