The Brain—is wider than the Sky—

For—put them side by side—

The one the other will contain

With ease—and you—beside—

 

The Brain is deeper than the sea—

For—hold them—Blue to Blue—

The one the other will absorb—

As sponges—Buckets—do— 

 

The Brain is just the weight of God—

For—Heft them—Pound for Pound—

And they will differ—if they do—

As Syllable from Sound—

 

Emily Dickinson, c. 1862

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This painting is a celebration of how magnificent the human brain is and how grateful I am that my own brain functions so well. Recently, my mother-in-law passed away after a slow decline with progressive dementia, and among many other things, witnessing her experience was a reminder to be grateful each day my mind is healthy.

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The model brain I used for my setup was 3D printed plastic with LED lights embedded. During the composition phase, I cycled through all the LED colors and decided on the white light as it made the brain glow. The internal LED lights were the only light source in the studio.

 

I surrounded the brain with daffodils because in Victorian times they were used as a symbol of admiration and respect--two emotions I have for the brain. As a bonus, they were my mother's favorite flower, and she highly valued rational thinking and intelligence. 

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This painting is the third in a 3-part series exploring the relationship between our purpose/spirit ("M3 Spirit Rose"), our body/heart/emotions ("The Fool Head"), and our mind/brain/decision making (this painting).