The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network

Aesthetic responses to visual art involve at least two distinct brain activity patterns. In sensory regions (occipito-temporal) and the striatum, activity increases linearly with how highly observers rate artworks. Low-rated artworks actually cause striatal activity to fall below baseline. In contrast, a network of frontal regions, including parts of the default mode network linked to self-referential thought, shows a step-like increase only for the most moving artworks, with no differential activity for all others. This suggests aesthetic experience integrates sensory and emotional reactions in a way tied to personal relevance.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Aesthetic responses to visual art comprise multiple types of experiences, from sensation and perception to emotion and self-reflection. Moreover, aesthetic experience is highly individual, with observers varying significantly in their responses to the same artwork. Combining fMRI and behavioral analysis of individual differences in aesthetic response, we identify two distinct patterns of neural activity exhibited by different sub-networks. Activity increased linearly with observers' ratings (4-level scale) in sensory (occipito-temporal) regions. Activity in the striatum (STR) also varied linearly with ratings, with below-baseline activations for low-rated artworks. In contrast, a network of frontal regions showed a step-like increase only for the most moving artworks ("4" ratings) and non-differential activity for all others. This included several regions belonging to the "default mode network" (DMN) previously associated with self-referential mentation. Our results suggest that aesthetic experience involves the integration of sensory and emotional reactions in a manner linked with their personal relevance.