ABSTRACT
How can one analyze the signifi cance of the combined fi ndings in artists with localized brain damage, neuropsychological clues to art from non-artists, and the role of sensory loss in art production without a discussion of art’s origin against the background of human evolution and biological infl uences? Exploring these origins sheds light on the purpose of art in human life and the brain’s control of art production and appreciation. One form of cognition on which art relies, as does language, is abstraction and symbolic representation. The biological and neural mechanisms supporting cognitive abstraction are assumed to have provided the underpinning for the practice of art. Anthropologists, evolutionary biologists, and archaeologists have discussed the acquired sequence of traits leading to the appearance of art. Despite controversies, debates, and myriad opinions, a pattern of agreement does emerge. A synthesis of this pattern is presented here and additional views on evolutionary and biological origins are introduced.
