Painting for the Brain

Philosophy of the arts in the age of computer science

You will never look at a painting the way you did before.

Painting for the brain

Those who have read this book will never again look at a painting the way they did before.

‘A painting is like a programme for the viewing machine in our brain’, such is the main postulation from which Pieter Adriaans, painter and Professor of Information Technology at the University of Amsterdam, is developing a new vision on the art of painting.

Our brain constructs an image of reality, based on a limited amount of information supplied by our eyes. The painter uses this fact. Recent insights from neurobiology, information technology and mathematics can teach us a new way of viewing the world.

This is a book for all viewers, teachers, critics, amateurs and professionals interested in the art of painting.

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‘For art historians it is very important that someone such as Adriaans reports on how he addresses art. He carefully looks at and sees all aspects I would never have thought of.’ Henk van Os, Professor of Art and Society, University of Amsterdam

‘Every era has its own way of viewing the world. For painter eyes this is the time of viewing awareness, as Pieter Adriaans is making clear to us.’ Arnold Smeulders, Professor of Multimedia Systems, University of Amsterdam

‘I’m really enthusiastic about this; content and style are well thought through, elegant in a light and airy way, entertaining as well as very personal.’ Bernard de Wolff, visual artist

‘It is fascinating to discover how you look at things. Your many studies that have taken you to where you are today are also remarkable. It gives the work a scientific flavour, and I realise that artists who also do research in fact behave like scientists. However, it is most often not described as elaborately as you have done here.’ Harm van der Meulen, visual artist

Previews

Here you can preview some pages of the book (PDF)