Photographic Moment

“Eye of the Beholder”

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say, but what is it that makes us perceive beauty? “Our neurons are responsible for how we view the world, and I was intrigued by the possibility of portraying this concept,” said Joanna Cross, a postdoctoral fellow in the National Institute of Mental Health. “I superimposed an image of cultured neurons onto a macro photograph of an eye to give the feeling that we are looking past the superficial outside and revealing what is truly held within the eye of the beholder. Consider this: While you are deciding if you like this image, you are using the exact concept that is portrayed by this piece of art.”