Is seems that everyone is mourning the tyrannic and corrosive nature the left brain has in comparison to the emotional and more human right brain. Leonard Shlain attributes misogyny to the advent of the left brain in the form of a written language. Do we really have the right to insult our logical nature when that very nature is allowing us to make the argument of its faults? I would like to expound on what Danny was previously discussing in that the richness involved in the right brain's expression of emotion would not be fully appreciated without the left brain. Sometimes the meaning of a work of art can rush in all at once when one sees the bigger picture and knows more about the concept.
The right brain is seen as more in touch with humanity than the left brain which distances a person from their emotionality. David Abram believes this separates humans from the archaic cyclical nature of myth. However, couldn't this also allow more room for the left brain to maneuver and interpret meaning? Myth and ritual connect humans in that it is a repeating story. The left brain can bring this story more relatable meaning to the individual. Experiencing a myth in a group storytelling provides a theater-like experience- it is very in-the-moment, but literature can give more background. It can bring to light details a viewer may not have noticed. A look may mean more, and thoughts can be ten times more intense. Emotionality is essential, but it could not be half of what it is without the richness a left brain can provide.
As you have said, we cannot truly understand a work of art without both sides of our brain. I like to think of the process in two ways. On one side, the right brain allows us to comprehend the emotion of the art. On the other, the left brain provides the artist with the knowledge of shapes, lines, and various methods of creating the art. I may be contradicting myself here, but I also believe the creative process needs an equal amount of effort of both brain sides. If we painted with only a knowledge of shapes, what is there to interpret? Also, how can we study the emotion of a piece if there was only an idea from the right brain; one that was not laid onto a canvas.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ryan that, "the left brain provides the artist with the knowledge of shapes, lines,and various methods of creating art." It's imperative that we don't forget the importance of the left brain as well as the right brain. One side of the brain is not more important than the other. In order to have balance we must incorporate use of both the left and right brain in life, for instance what would the cathedral of Notre Dame feel like without its amazing architecture? This beautiful church designed by the left brain opens doors for right-brained belief and the importance of both sides of the brain.
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