The Museum of Scientifically Accurate Fabric Brain Art

As featured in Science, Knitting Help, and the National Review.

This is the world's largest collection of anatomically correct fabric brain art. Inspired by research from neuroscience, dissection and neuroeconomics, our current exhibition features a rug based on fMRI imaging, a knitted brain from dissection, and three quilts with functional images from PET. The artists are Marjorie Taylor and Karen Norberg. Techniques used include traditional Nova Scotian rug hooking, quilting, applique, embroidery, beadwork, knitting, and crocheting. Materials include fabric, yarn, metallic threads, electronic components such as magnetic core memory, and wire, zippers, and beads.

 

While our artists make every effort to insure accuracy, we cannot accept responsibility for the consequences of using fabric brain art as a guide for functional magnetic resonance imaging, trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, neurosurgery, or single-neuron recording.

Resources for neuroartists here. Please visit our sister site, the Gallery of Wooden Brain Art.

Bill Harbaugh, Curator.

We welcome comments about the artistic merit and scientific accuracy of our work. Please add yours here.

Newscientist, Jezebel, boingboing and Dave Barry have published recent stories about our art.

 

Warm Glow, or fabricMRI: Bill's Brain

Best in Show, 2009 Mayor's Art Show, Eugene Oregon (juried)

Marjorie Taylor (2009). Rug hooked from wool fabric strips, 5'x6'. Private Collection.
Economic theory from Andreoni (1988), fMRI activation from Harbaugh, Mayr, and Burghart (2007). Supporting online material here.. Click to zoom and pan.

 

 

"The Knitted Brain"

Karen Norberg. On loan to the Boston Museum of Science. Supporting Online Material here.

 

"Art and Science #1"

Marjorie Taylor (2000). Collection of the artist.

 

"Mark's Brain"

Marjorie Taylor (2002). Collection of the Lewis Center for Neuro Imaging.

 

"Velvet Cortex"

Marjorie Taylor (2006). Private Collection.

 

"Art and Science #1" (detail)

Marjorie Taylor (2000). Collection of the artist.

Please add your comments here.

Links:

Mark Dow has many useful resources for neuroartists and an MRI of the knitted brain. (We tried fMRI, but saw little evidence of a BOLD response.)

Curator's Statement:

We hope you have enjoyed your visit to the Museum. If you have fabric brain art that you would like to have added to our exhibits, or if you have any interesting electronic components or other items that belong on brain quilts, please email the Curator at wtharbaugh at gmail.com, or http:/harbaugh.org. All work and images are copyright of the artists/scientists. We thank Zoomify for free software and the University of Oregon for not keeping track of how we use their bandwidth.