What is mine, yours and ours: Bodily metaphor and neuropsychology

Authors

• Alicia K.E ParhamFollow

Subject Area

Art

Abstract

Mapping the landscape of the brain has taken human lifetimes to navigate, both structurally to understand how our biological functions interact and functionally as our thoughts and emotions shape our existence. Neurological stimulus and response inform our reality, shape our thinking, and affect our bodies in profound physiological ways. Our nervous system acts as a bridge from what we experience physically to what we feel emotionally, through the sending of electrical signals to all parts of our body.

My art practice explores the interactions of neuroscience with outside stimuli. It is rooted in the personal: learning that a neurological condition began to damage my nervous system, the very bridge in charge of distributing this information, while another began to take my eyesight. This was a disruption in how I perceive my reality, both tactilely and visually, in my brain. My work seeks to take a thoughtful look at the sources of stimuli we experience and how they are communicated to our bodies. In the summer of 2025, I took my work to Iceland to observe how architecture, specifically churches, would affect our brains in contrast to regal landscapes. The information found that the art that is created through every one of the interactions we experience neurologically creates endless fractals of potential. In this thesis, I discuss my interdisciplinary art practice that creates the interaction between fine arts and neurosciences. Neuroscience interacts with my work by providing data via a brainwave visualizer, looking at biological structures of brains, connective tissue, and heart cells. My work is represented via large paintings, wood and acrylic fabricated shapes, and painting techniques that mirror the collected data.

Degree Date

Spring 5-16-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.F.A.

Department

Fine arts

Advisor

Melaine Clemmons

Second Advisor

Dana Buzzee

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my committee, Melanie and Dana, for their endless guidance, patience, and humor. My family, for understanding and supporting all the moments of struggle, joy, and exhaustion in the last 2 years, always meeting them with love. To my Partner, who spent many nights staying up with me painting or writing this thesis, going on nighttime coffee runs without judgment, and encouraging my passion. I extend my deepest gratitude to the Spaht family and the Dedman College of Interdisciplinary Studies for supporting this work and making these research opportunities possible.

Number of Pages

26

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Recommended Citation

Parham, Alicia K.E, "What is mine, yours and ours: Bodily metaphor and neuropsychology" (2026). Art Theses and Dissertations. 34.
https://scholar.smu.edu/art_etds/34