The frothy turbulence of breaking surf— at the moment it is reabsorbed into the sea— provides an ethereal, yet palpable experience of both raw power and essential quietude. Oddly, the gossamer-like white filaments of motion have a startling familiarity to neuroscientists like Steve who (in his former life) studied the pyramidal neurons of the human brain to uncover the biological bases of behavior and human responses to stress.
Our project, The Neuroanatomy of Water, reflects this kinship of filaments of breaking surf to the neuronal networks of the brain. Much as neural circuits inform the understanding of human resilience, these photographic studies of breaking surf provide a a sense of how the ocean acts as a restorative balm for the spirit, offering a necessary breath of stillness in a world of mounting discord.
