Dr Rebecca Chamberlain: The artist's trace / tracing the artist

We are delighted that Dr Rebecca Chamberlain (Goldsmiths Psychology) will be presenting her research in a talk entitled The artist's trace / tracing the artist

Abstract: Drawing is an ancient human activity, universal in childhood but usually abandoned by adulthood. And yet, even as adults we are surrounded by drawn images that we must decode so that we may understand the artist’s intentions. How do we learn how to draw and
to understand drawings? To answer these questions, I will break down the psychological and neural mechanisms involved in learning to draw, focusing particularly on visual perception and attention. I will then provide evidence that looking at drawings engages
the body, holding a mirror to the process of drawing itself. These complementary perspectives shed light on drawing as both an act and an outcome.

Biography: Among the many skills that humans evolved to design their environments, art-making is among the oldest, far predating evidence of written communication. Rebecca’s research sets out to understand how and why individuals create and respond so powerfully to works
of art. Rebecca studied for a foundation degree in Art and Design at the University of the Arts, London before moving into cognitive science. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Experimental Psychology at University College London researching
the psychology and neuroscience of representational drawing ability. Rebecca joined Goldsmiths as a lecturer in 2017. She is currently Programme Director of the MSc in Psychology of the Arts, Neuroaesthetics and Creativity and Editor-in-Chief at Empirical
Studies of the Arts

Teams link for those unable to join in person

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