- Home
- Activities
- Resources
- People
Inner Vision
An Exploration Of Art And The Brain
By Semir Zeki
The work of the artist and the science of vision may seem distantly related as subjects. However, when Leonardo da Vinci wrote that, of all the colours, the most pleasing are the ones which constitute opponents, he was uttering a physical truth about the brain. Inner Vision is the first attempt to relate art to the way in which the visual brain functions. Using a range of examples from artists including Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Magritte, Malevich and Picasso, Semir Zeki takes the reader on an aesthetic tour of the brain.
This book is available in Chinese, Japanese, Greek and Italian. It will shortly be available in Korean and Spanish as well.
Reviews of Inner Vision
'this is an intellectually stimulating discussion that would be of interest to artists, art critics and historians, philosophers, and eye care practitioners interested in perception.' Optometric Education
'(Zeki) Immer auf dem Grunde einer Einsicht, die er mit Petrarca teilt: dass die Kunst, und vielleicht in besonders hohem Maß die Malerei, eine Quelle der Erkenntnis ist.' Lars Gustafsson, Die Zeit
'Rigorous and stimulating.' The Times Literary Supplement
'Fascinating...Zeki's book is a delight for its unconventionality, as well as for its non-didactic foray into art history, psychology, photography, and visual neurobiology. He is specially powerful in describing colour vision for which his pioneering research is fiercely original' Alan Snyder, The Australian Review of Books
'Zeki ... ha abierto un camino que será preseguido por otros científicos para analizar otras manifestaciones del arte y podría llevar en un futuro a una mejor comprensión de la experiencia estética.' Miguel Beato, Saber Leer
'Fascinating...Zeki, a leading authority regarding the brain, also shows great familiarity with (and appreciation of) art. He ably ties together art, science and philosophy...Recommended for all those interested in the visual arts, and those interested in the working of the brain.' The Complete Review
'Give[s] the most perceptive general account we have of the workings of human vision.' Israel Rosenfield, The New York Review of Books
'Inner Vision is the first systematic attempt to explain visual art in terms of science. Without biological foundations, the author believes, theories of aesthetics cannot be complete, much less profound. It is a tantalising claim and leads to a stimulating volume, variously provocative and compelling…a novel and vast itinerary is being attempted and this book is simply the first foray. A lively debate on the neuroscience of art is sure to follow.' David Alais, Trends in Cognitive Sciences
'Fascinating and hugely thought-provoking.' The Spectator
'Revolutionises the conventional view of the passive eye in favour of a dynamic, generative concept of vision. Inner Vision sets out to show, with admirable lucidity, clear diagrams and splendid colour plates…that several aspects of visual experience - above all colour - do not inhere in natural phenomena but result from the brain's interpretation of data.' The Times Higher Education Supplement
'Zeki is al vijfentwintig jaar een van de leidende onderzoekers op het gebied van het visuele hernesonderzoek. Zijn boek A Vision of the Brain uit 1993 geldt 1993 geldt nog steeds als een standaardwerk, dat bovendien uithlinkt in helder en toegankelijk taalgebruik. Dat kleurt ook zijn opwattingen over kunst.
Met sonplesse flitst Zeki in het rijk geillustreerde boek van Vermeer naar Leviant, van Michelangelo naar Matisse en van Picasso naar Cézanne…' Pieter Lomans, De Volkskrant [Netherlands]