Closeups of Self Reflected under various lighting programs from the Crescent
Dr. Greg Dunn (artist and neuroscientist) and Dr. Brian Edwards (artist and applied physicist) created Self Reflected to elucidate the nature of human consciousness, bridging the connection between the mysterious three pound macroscopic brain and the microscopic behavior of neurons.
Self Reflected offers an unparalleled insight of the brain into itself, revealing through a technique called reflective microetching the enormous scope of beautiful and delicately balanced neural choreographies designed to reflect what is occurring in our own minds as we observe this work of art.
Background on the art, science, and technology behind Self Reflected
Containing the circuit dynamics of approximately 500,000 neurons, Self Reflected was created to remind us that the most marvelous machine in the known universe is at the core of our being and is the root of our shared humanity.
Created in consultation with expert neuroscientists and the most up-to-date primary literature, Self Reflected was made using an elaborate combination of hand drawing, algorithmically simulated neural circuitry, adapted neuroscientific data, photolithography, gilding, and strategic lighting. It is not a scan or a photograph of any kind. Microetchings are handmade lithographs that manipulate light on a microscopic scale to control the reflectivity of metallic surfaces in precise ways. These techniques were invented by Dr. Greg Dunn and his colleague Dr. Brian Edwards to change the way the viewer experiences a painting.
A brief video showing more detail on Crescent functionality and how the remote control changes the Crescent's lighting programs.
The first in an edition of three, this work is the first to be accompanied with a custom-built light bar called “The Crescent,” a highly specialized lighting structure containing 1,596 high-powered LEDs capable of illuminating the microetching with up to 15 thousand lumens of light. The owner can select 15 different lighting programs for the artwork, varying from a the more subtle and ambient to highly dynamic and colorful displays. When activated, these lighting programs mirror electrical activity in the brain. Self Reflected is a work of neonaturalism, inspired by the cutting edge of neuroscience and engineering to expand our understanding of the natural world.
Please note that microetchings are designed to evolve based on the moving perspective of the viewer and/or the lightbar, and are impossible to fully capture in still images.
List of Programs
Remote Control Programs, Row 1
1- Single White Spot (a single, very slow moving white spotlight)
2- Long Golden Bolt (a moving “dart” of white light to activate the neural activity of the Microetching)
3- Quintuple Braid (5 moving spots of differing white light temperatures)
Remote Control Programs, Row 2
4- Dark Thoughts (an “inverse” program where the animation appears to be as ink moving through the brain)
5- Precious Metals (gold, silver, and copper colored light in slowly moving spots)
6- Pastel Spots (several different pastel spots that move and mix)
Remote Control Programs, Row 3
7- Blue, Green, and White (three slowly moving spots)
8- Plasma Bolt (a color gradient spot animating the neural activity in white, magenta, and violet)
9- Lightning Bolt (a color gradient spot animating the neural activity in yellow, green, blue, and violet)
Remote Control Programs, Row 4
10- Triple Braid (white, blue, and pink moving spots)
11- Soft Blue and Orange Chase (a color gradient animating the neural activity in blue and orange)
12- Firebolt (a color gradient spot animating the neural activity in white, yellow, and red)
Remote Control Programs, Row 5
13- Deep Color Spots (several different saturated color spots that move and mix)
14- Fire and Ice (two color gradient spots animating neural activity, one in cool colors and the other in warm)
15- Plays a compilation of all of the above programs for 45 seconds each.
