Rebecca Ivatts

Blockhead

Rebecca Ivatts - Blockhead

Blockhead (2014)

Acrylic and mixed media on board, mounted on wood

84.1 x 59.4cm

As children, our brains develop from the bottom up rather like a stack of building blocks. The brain’s uppermost building block, and the last to mature, is the cortex. This is responsible for our most complex thinking from decision-making to multi-tasking to controlling our emotions. And once the stack is complete, the brain has a remarkable ability to generate new cells. In that sense, brain building is constantly in progress. Some of that spadework comes down to us regularly flexing those neurons. The old adage, ‘use it or lose it’ stands true.