The School of Psychology are thrilled to announce the commencement of the John Shrigley Psychology of Arts Seminar Series; an annual seminar series devoted to research in the Psychology of Art and closely related subjects. 
 
To start the series, we will be hosting a public lecture on Thursday, May 28th, 6-7pm in the Eric Sunderland Lecture Theatre at ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ. 
 
Our inaugural speaker will be Dr Rebecca Chamberlain from Goldsmiths University of London.
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.
 
Short biography
Among the many skills that humans evolved to design their environments, artmaking 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, Neurasthenics and Creativity and Editor-in-Chief at Empirical Studies of the Arts.
