Face Recognition
This workshop is a collaboration between John and artist Cian McLoughlin that explores the intersection of art, neuroscience, mathematics, and machine learning through the evolution of portraiture and face recognition.
It connects:
- How artists try to capture the essence of a person,
- How the brain recognises faces using the Fusiform Face Area (FFA),
- How mathematics represents faces through dimensionality reduction,
- How computers use Eigenfaces and machine learning to recognise and re-create faces.
- The presentation culminates in the idea that only a few images are needed to form a mathematical “portrait” — an Eigenface — representing the essence of a person, not just their appearance.
Materials
Slides
Worksheets
Face Recognition Maths Worksheet
Face Recognition Art Worksheet
References
McLoughlin, C. (2024, August 23). The Digital Mirror: TCIN and Dr John Butler at the Dublin Makers Festival, Richmond Barracks. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from https://www.cianmcloughlin.com/news/35-the-digital-mirror-tcin-and-dr-john-butler-at-the-dublin/