My artistic practice and aesthetic interests have been profoundly influenced by my work as a medical illustrator for the new edition of Human Neuroanatomy, published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing in 2017, by Dr. James R. Augustine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine. While creating illustrations for this textbook, I researched the history of brain anatomy illustration and was particularly struck and inspired by the drawings of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, because they possess artistic merit and a particular type of observation. I am creating a series of drawings and paintings titled Aesthetic Instincts: the Intersection of Art and Science in the life of Santiago Ramón y Cajal. This is an immersive, comprehensive, and multi-year development of a biographical creative project that, through visual art, examines and represents the life of Santiago Ramón y Cajal (May 1, 1852 – October 17, 1934).
I recreate, splice and fuse drawings of his animated neurons, with representations of biographical elements, fictional narratives, and surrealism. Cajal was a Spanish scientist and the first person to demonstrate that the nervous system was made up of individual units (neurons) that were independent of one another but linked together at points of functional contact called synapses. Cajal illustrated the results of his studies with elegant drawings of neurons that he proposed work independently or collectively, and that each individual unit can participate simultaneously in individual or multiple neuron functions. Cajal was a 1906 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine that was awarded jointly to another neuroscientist, Camillo Golgi "in recognition of their work on the structure of the nervous system,” however, their research was mutually exclusive and embraced opposing theses. Santiago Ramón y Cajal is considered by many to be the father of modern neuroscience. I focus on key psychodynamic aspects Cajal's life, and through my work, I am essentially "profiling" Cajal.
I connect, observe, perceive, and interpret the integration and impact of subjective content on Cajal's scientific development, i.e. personal experience, romantic novels, fine art, art history, etc. Through my artwork I seek to understand the impact that the creative arts had on the objective results of his work. I have been recreating Cajal's actual drawings (using his scientific drawings as the primary source/still life) and only through that process have I understood content that would have been appreciated but not fully comprehend.
"The first time I drew Cajal’s work, it was a conversation, and one in which he spoke clearly through “the noble and enigmatic cell of thought.” He taught me a lot that day, changing how I think about him and approach my artistic work—forever." - Dawn Hunter from National Library of Medicine's, Circulating Now: Communing and Giggling with Cajal.
I would be remiss if I did not thank those who have made the research opportunities in this project possible. I have been able to thrive in this series because of their interest, support, and encouragement. I am thankful for everyone's assistance at the Instituto Cajal: Ricardo Martínez Murillo, Fernando De Castro Soubriet, and Rosario Moratalla. I would especially like to thank Juan De Carlos Segovía for inviting me to apply for the Fulbright España award, for his interest in my work, his extensive knowledge of Cajal, and supporting the exhibitions of my work at the Instituto Cajal. I am thankful to Jeff Diamond from the NIH for inviting me to participate in international symposiums and exhibit my work at the John Porter Neuroscience Research Center. Lastly, I would like to thank Jim and Mary Augustine for introducing me to the world of Ramón y Cajal and their love, support, and friendship throughout this project.
― Dawn Hunter, March 2021
