CREATIVITY
AND THE BRAIN.
Neuropsychology of Art: Neurological, Cognitive
and Evolutionary Perspectives Dahlia W. Zaidel.
Hove, UK: Psychology Press; 2005,
261 pages. PB £ 49.95
(ISBN 1841693634)
Reviewed by NMJ Edelstyn
In Neuropsychology of
Art Dahlia
W. Zaidel examines issues such as where creativity come from, how we represent
the world, and the ways in which these internal representations breakdown in
the context of brain pathology. She explores how works of art by artists with
brain damage can help us understand the origins of our
creative abilities and experiences of
these internal representations, and in so doing provides a number of important insights.
Firstly,
from the compilation of single cases of established visual artists, autistic
savants with special artistic skills, composers and trained musicians, a
distinct recurrent type of artistic composition post-damage has not emerged,
either across or within different brain pathologies. This absence suggests
preservation of artistic capabilities despite onslaught of neuronal damage
(following stroke, or dementia, or with autism). Secondly, artists are also as
susceptible to visuo-spatial deficits as are other individuals, but because of
their preserved artistic skill, their work can appear visually eloquent in
incorporating deficits like neglect into their visual art. Thirdly, regardless
of laterality or lesion location, the artists showed an adherence to their
premorbid artistic style, although a more variable effect was noted for
technique. Fourthly, preservation of artistic skill which include creativity
and aesthetic preference remain relatively intact, modified, enhanced, or even
generated in individuals who, premorbidly, had not displayed overt artistic
tendencies. This point has most recently been illustrated in the report of
51-year old Tommy McHugh (Lythgoe et al., 2005), a former builder, who,
following a localized brain haemorrhage, developed an artistic compulsion and
now writes poetry, draws, paints and makes sculptures.
Throughout this book,
Zaidel has carefully distinguished between talent or skill and creativity. Having artistic skill alone does not
guarantee creativity. Talent is
something she attributes to genetic inheritance if only by pointing out that
autistic savants are skilled from a very early age, before most of us, or
non-savant autistic persons, do.
The
diverse material and clarity of writing makes Neuropsychology of Art of interest to all scientists
and scholars as well as a useful and fascinating source on important current
developments in the field of
brain and art.
A web
site by the publisher provides colour figures at www.psypress.co.uk/zaidel and
the book’s chapter subheadings can be viewed at http://dahliaz.bol.ucla.edu/newbook.html It
should also be mentioned that there is a detailed subject index with artists’ names
as well as a useful glossary.
References
Lythgoe, MFX, Pollak, TA, Kalmus,
M, de Haan, M & Chong, WK (2005) Obsessive, prolific artistic output
following subarachnoid haemorrhage. Neurology 64, 397-398.