What Art Reveals About the Science of Visual Perception (Grand Rapids)

Join us for "What Art Reveals About the Science of Visual Perception" from Charles LaRue!

Picasso said that art is the lie that reveals the truth. Visual perception is the processing of environmental cues which, in isolation, have little to do with the whole of what we perceive. Artists are the chief manipulators of visual cues in order to convey their interpretation of reality. Therefore, is natural to examine visual perception through the lens of art and artists.

About the Speaker

Charles LaRue was practically born drawing and found, in childhood, that he could only understand the visual world if he explored it the way an artist does: breaking it down, and building it back up again from its components. He graduated from Kendall College of Art & Design (Illustration major; design minor) with an Associates of Fine Arts degree in 1982 and did commercial and freelance art and design. He was simultaneously beginning to explore the world of fine art painting. When he discovered alkyd resin-based paints (often referred to as fast-drying oils), he was hooked. His art has been displayed in numerous galleries, private, corporate and public collections and he has pieces that have been purchased for, and have traveled to, foreign nations, including France, Greece, and South Korea. He has won numerous awards in competitions and has been involved in solo and group art shows for many years.

Charles was one of the early members of the small group of individuals who gathered around a table that would later become the more fully-fledged Freethought Association of West Michigan and then grow much further to our current CFI- Michigan. He has been involved with the organization and its growth for many years in different capacities and is a past Freethinker of the Year Award recipient.

Charles has worked for over half of his life with individuals with different challenges and impairments. Those with sensory disorders drove his curiosity toward exploring human perception, with a special interest in visual perception.

Charles is a naturalistic, secular humanist who loves science as much as art. Some of his artwork is based on his understanding of neurology and visual perception, acquired through his pursuits as an autodidact.

We host local and national lecturers to speak on many different topics including: science, religion, philosophy, social issues, politics, atheism, humanism, agnosticism, skepticism, deism, evolution, morality and ethics, secularism, rationalism, psychology, and others. [list] []Meetings are open to the Public []Cost: FREE / $5.00 Suggested Donation. []After the meeting, join us at Vitale's Restaurant, 834 Leonard NE, Grand Rapids, MI to socialize. []Contact: Jennifer Beahan, michigan@centerforinquiry.net, 616-698-2342 [/list]