Final answer:
Treisman demonstrated that perception begins with the breakdown of object features by analyzing how the brain organizes sensory information, with experiments and theories, such as Gestalt psychology, showing that the brain constructs perception from fragmented parts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Treisman demonstrated that object perception begins with the breakdown of object features through the use of several theories and experiments that indicate how our brain organizes sensory information. Rather than perceiving an object as a whole initially, the brain breaks it down into individual features such as color, shape, size, etc., and then integrates these features back into our conscious perception of the object. This idea is contrary to the traditional 'camera model' of vision, which suggests that the brain takes a mental picture of the world. Instead, this process shows that the brain actively constructs perceptions based on fragmented parts that are reassembled into what we perceive as objects in the world.
Experiments involving optical illusions, such as the ones that ask us to interpret ambiguous figures or show us images that seem to violate physical laws, support the idea that perception is not a passive process. Additionally, Gestalt psychology, which has been influential in the study of sensation and perception, promotes the idea that 'the whole is different from the sum of its parts' and the brain employs certain principles to organize sensory information into a coherent perception.
In summary, the dissection and fragmentation of images, as implied in the references to Cubism and the work of Cézanne, serve as metaphors for Treisman's theory. It illustrates that perception involves breaking down and analyzing the features of an object and recombining them to understand and perceive the object in its entirety.