Secular Art in Sacred Places

Even the earliest humans made and experienced art, and religious beliefs have been an inspiration for art through the ages. But how do artists who aren't religious reconcile the fact that their art is sometimes commissioned for religious settings? Does ‘religious’ art have to be made by a believer, or is the spirituality of a work in the eye of the beholder?

To some, art is a spiritual or religious experience in and of itself - people don't have to feel they are conventionally religious to find works of art affecting the way they think. But what is happening in the brain during this kind of experience? How does the brain gauge the beauty or power of a work of art?

One theory is that art taps into the subconscious mind, producing emotions, images and memories that we may not be aware of in our normal conscious state. Perhaps it is the emotions induced by this process that lend meaning to certain works of art.

Join us to find out more about art, religion and the brain - you'll hear from a musician, an artist, a neuroscientist and an Anglican priest, and get the chance to ask your own questions.

Event organised by:
The European Dana Alliance for the Brain and Art and Mind

Speakers

Malcolm Creese, musician, Acoustic Triangle, London
Tim Garland, musician, Acoustic Triangle, London
Daniel Glaser, neuroscientist, Wellcome Trust
Garry Kennard, artist, Art and Mind
Charles Pickstone, Anglican priest, London

Facilitator:
Kathy Sykes, Bristol University