The goal of neuroaesthetic research is to understand the neural mechanisms underpinning
the perception and appreciation of art. The human brain has the remarkable ability
to rapidly recognize different artistic styles. Using functional connectivity, this
study investigates whether there are differences in connectivity networks formed during
the processing of abstract and figurative paintings. Eighty paintings (forty abstract
and forty figurative) were presented in a random order for eight seconds to each of
the 29 participants. High-density EEG recordings were taken, from which functional
connectivity networks were extracted at several time points (−300, 100, 300 and 500
ms). The debiased weighted phase lag index (dwPLI) was used to extract the connectivity
networks for the abstract and figurative conditions across multiple frequency bands.
Significant connectivity differences were detected for both conditions at each time
point and in each frequency band: delta (p < 0.0273), theta (p < 0.0292), alpha (p
< 0.0299), beta (p < 0.0275) and gamma (p < 0.0266). The topology of the connectivity
networks also varied over time and frequency, indicating the multi-scale dynamics
of art style perception. The method used in this study has the ability to identify
not only brain regions but their interaction (communication) patterns and their dynamics
at distinct time points, in contrast to average ERP waveforms and potential distributions.
Our findings suggest that the early perception stage of visual art involves complex,
distributed networks that vary with the style of the artwork. The difference between
the abstract and figurative connectivity network patterns indicates the difference
between the underlying style-related perceptual and cognitive processes.
