Event #2: Nina Sobell + Brain Art

I attended Nina Sobell’s lecture on Brain Art and found it to be incredibly interesting. Nina is a “contemporary sculptor, multimedia, and performance artist” who utilizes mediums I don’t typically associate with art: EEG technology, closed-circuit television, and internet communication. Her artwork is predicated on her “desire to visualize non-verbal communication and create intimate connections.” I found it really noteworthy that she would feel compelled to use technology to illustrate our relations to others; When I think of modern-day technology, I don’t initially consider the ways in which it encourages social interaction, togetherness, or interconnectedness. Instead, I often think of data, machines, computers, etc. - all of which I find to be quite isolating. With the help of Dr. B Sterman’s Neuropsychology Lab and Mike Trivich, Nina Sobell illustrates the opposite sentiment through BrainWaves Drawings, the “interactive synchrony of brainwaves between two or more people, creating a combined physical and mental portrait by visualizing non-verbal communication.” Thus, learning about BrainWave Drawings and the coming together of individual’s brainwaves elicited a newfound understanding of the ways in which technology allows us to better understand not only our world, but each other on an interpersonal level. 

Source: https://mailchi.mp/ucla/ucla-lunch-labs-artsci-2552473?e=28317bdb5b

Source: https://vimeo.com/351411798

Nina Sobell Nina, her story, and her art elicited a greater understanding of just how boundless art can be; I have never heard of brain art prior to attending this event. The term Brain Art is often associated with the use of “Brain-Computer-Interfaces for artistic expression.” Brain-Computer-Interfaces rely on the “transmutation of neural signals into realms of sounds and images that render the internal workings of the mind perceptible.” When I first heard this I was taken aback - I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how Nina could “transcend the constraints of linguistic communication.” Upon further research, I’ve come to understand that a Brain-Computer-Interface is a “direct communication pathway between the brain's electrical activity and an external device.” There are three components that make up the BCI system: 1) electrodes record brain activity, 2) a processing pipeline interprets signals, and 3) an external device or computer that receives commands. BCI is often utilized for research regarding human cognitive and sensory-motor functions, however, its use is obviously not exhausted in research settings. 

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t84lGE5TXA

I left Nina’s lecture in awe of artist’s that embrace technology as a means of artistic expression. Brain Art is grounded in a “shared experience of creativity and joy” and challenges “socially imposed boundaries between individuals.” I thoroughly enjoyed Nina’s lecture and am thankful that it broadened my idea of what art can be. Nina and her work truly embodies the interaction between technology, humans, and the artistic world. As technology improves and humans progress, I have no doubt we will continue to find creative outlets, just as we have since the beginning of time. Nina’s lecture served as a great reminder of just how far we have come and the possibilities that exist ahead. I’ve attached a photo of caveman paintings that date back around 8000 to 4000 years ago in hopes of illustrating the evolution of art. 

Source: https://www.oldest.org/artliterature/cave-paintings/

 
 
 
 
 
Sources: 

DESMA 9: EEG + Intimate Connections + art with Nina Sobell. DESMA 9: EEG + Intimate Connections + Art with Nina Sobell | UCLA Art | Sci Center + Lab. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://artsci.ucla.edu/node/1587 

DESMA 9: EEG + Intimate Connections + art with Nina Sobell. Marketing, Automation & Email Platform. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://mailchi.mp/ucla/ucla-lunch-labs-artsci-2552473?e=28317bdb5b 

Nina Sobell. Nina Sobell Bio. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from http://ninasobell.com/ninasobell/parkbench_docs/portfolio/bio.html 

Sobell, N. (2022, June 3). Nina Sobell: Pioneer in Interactivity by Emily Hartzell 1993. Vimeo. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://vimeo.com/351411798 

What is BCI? an introduction to brain-computer interface using EEG signals. Bitbrain. (2021, March 25). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.bitbrain.com/blog/brain-computer-interface-using-eeg-signals 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, June 2). Brain–computer interface. Wikipedia. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer_interface