Brette Higgins

Visualization 3 ( Thinking about what makes up a neuron structure)

Map:

Upper left corner represents my student with AS. He has proven the most difficult to work with which is why I chose the furthest location to place him within the composition.

Top right corner represents my LD student ( furthest green form in the corner as he is often distant and angry but is not much concern behaviorally).

Closet green form ( also in upper right panel, closest to me) represents my ED student. He often remains close to me in the classroom and is proven to be most helpful, engaged and eager throughout the semester.

Bottom left represents my ADHD student, he occupies two forms as he is often very energized and moving. Lately he seems to be occupying two personalities which is why he has conjoined forms.

Bottom right represents myself. I am representing the gray matter of the brain. I stand to represent the cerebrum where most the most complex brain functions occur.

These panels are done on 4 transparencies, I wanted this composition to be more cohesive and appear as one large work. I did try to use a clear acetate sheet as a preliminary execution, however I found that the individual transparencies held ink and spray paint more efficiently. The color green represents misplaced energy.

The surface underneath the transparencies is composed of spray paint, ink, sand, and spray insulation. The granulated areas represent the dendrites that cover brain neurons. The paint splatters were intentionally placed as they are chemical signals received and distributed among the students as they are also received .

I wanted this visualization to point to the demands  I feel as the teacher. The attention that these students demand on a regular basis is exhausting. The color red represents the entire neurochemical system. I also wished to vocalize high speed ideas, a flow of messages and a lack of boundaries through unorganized brushstrokes. The green forms are functioning as frontal lobes that essentially receive information from the emotional brain.
My initial idea for this visualization was focused on my progress with four students as I progressed through the final portion of my lesson planning.  I chose organic forms and the color green to represent each individual student. The large bubbles can be seen connecting myself to my student with AS who is furthest away in the work. The bubbles are mirror neurons, which imitate what they see. This strategy proved to be an effective tool when I was working with my AS student earlier. We did have a successful beginning, however due to unfortunate circumstances, he has become completely despondent.  I would like to continue with more transparency studies,  the artwork of both artists Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Greg Dunn have also been an inspiration for my work.

Cajal summarizes many of the properties of astrocytes in this drawing of the hippocampus of a man three hours after death.

( Images above – by artists Santiago Ramon y Cajal, and Greg Dunn)