I am an artist who uses the biography of Santiago Ramón y Cajal and his neuroscience research as the inspiration for my artwork. Earlier this year, my artwork, Dueling Cajals, won an Honorable Mention in the international Art of Neuroscience competition out of the Netherlands. I am honored and speechless to have my artwork featured in
Scientific American in an article about the competition. In the article, I share my artwork with the writers and editors (
Fionna M. D. Samuels and
Liz Tormes) and how the Cajal Legacy at the Instituto Cajal and neuroscience inspire my art about Cajal.
Above my artwork, Dueling Cajals, receives Honorable Mention in the 2022 Art of Neuroscience
International competition.
My artwork is based on my thorough study of Cajal's life and his scientific drawings, which I conduct in collaboration with leading experts in the neuroscience field at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Instituto Cajal, Madrid, Spain. I have created over 300 works about Cajal in my ongoing project. My creative project aims to help increase public awareness of the wonders and how the process of drawing can create unique insight and interpretations for scientific research. Overall, my series about Cajal is biographically informative about him and his drawing process.
Me with my primary source references for my work Dueling Cajals: Cajal's Nobel Prize, his original scientific drawing of regenerative nerve cells and his death mask. All of these items are housed at the Instituto Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Historical Background about Cajal
Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) was born in a small town in Spain. His father was a doctor, and Cajal grew up interested in science. He went to medical school, but he also studied biology and physics. He studied the brain using histological staining methods, microscopes, micrographs, and drawing. He discovered how different parts of the brain work. Cajal was also a great teacher and helped train many scientists who would go on to make significant contributions to neuroscience, like Fernando De Castro (arterial chemoreceptors), Rafael Lorente de Nó (audio-vestibular nuclei and system), and E. Horne Craigie (zoologist and author).
Along with Camillo Golgi, Cajal won the Nobel Prize for his work in 1906.
He did his seminal work in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He is known for problem-solving and innovation, like altering and improving the Golgi Black Reaction stain, which allowed him to visualize the nervous system in unprecedented detail. His discoveries continue to be the basis for our understanding of the brain.
One of Cajal's most important contributions was his development of the Neuron Doctrine. This theory states that the nervous system comprises individual cells called neurons. Santiago Ramón y Cajal's work on the neuron doctrine helped establish neuroscience as its scientific discipline.
Cajal's legacy continues to this day. His work on the neuron doctrine laid the foundation for our understanding of the brain, and his work on the brain's structure has helped shape our understanding of mental illness. He is a leading figure in the history of neuroscience, and his work is still studied and appreciated by scientists today.
Cajal's impact on neuroscience cannot be overstated. His work on the anatomy of the nervous system revolutionized our understanding of how the brain works. His discoveries helped establish neuroscience as its own field and paved the way for many of the modern insights that have been made in neuroscience in the years since. Cajal's work is still studied and referenced by neuroscientists today, and his legacy will continue for many years.
His discoveries about the structure and function of the brain have had a profound impact on the field and continue to be studied and applied today. Thanks to Cajal's efforts, we have a much better understanding of how the brain works and continue to progress in understanding neurological disorders. His work demonstrates the power of science and the importance of curiosity and creativity in research.
Conclusion
I have enjoyed making artwork about Cajal's life and histology research. I am honored to have my work receive an Honorable Mention Award in the Art of Neuroscience competition and delighted that it was featured in Scientific American. To learn more about my project about him, visit my website devoted to my Cajal project, Dawn Hunter Art,™ | Cajal Portfolio.
My drawing, Four Cajals, marker and pen on paper, is based on a black and white self-portrait photo montage created and printed by Cajal. I added the color based on a color harmony system to my drawing.
Video
Below is a video that documents my process Creative Process Video for the Artwork Dueling Cajals:
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