Friday, November 29, 2013

When Science Is Used As Art

"The mystery of mad itch"
 ANTHONY AMBROSINI AND LYNN ENQUIST
A couple of months ago I came across the article “The Art of Science”, written by Chris Palmer, which discusses Princeton’s 6th annual Art of Science Exhibition. The exhibition includes forty-four “scientifically derived works of art.” Many of these works were discovered while in the process of research or experiments conducted by Princeton scientists and engineers.
This article proved that there are many beautiful elements in scientific research. The images posted along with this article are what originally attracted me to reading it. With Art Education being my major, I am always interested in finding different ways of integrating other subjects with Art. I think it would be great to show these images to students for a lesson in aesthetics. It is a great example of how something not normally thought of as beautiful, such as the worms, can actually be aesthetically pleasing.
I thought it was interesting how many of the scientists got very excited when they discovered their exhibition pieces as they worked. I do not think any of them planned out the images, they were simply stumbled upon. Many of them remind me of abstract paintings I have seen. I find that interesting because now I believe that some of these abstract paintings, surely not intentional, are actually portraying something very realistic.

Not only are these images impressive pieces of art, but I think the Art of Science Exhibition gives people another perspective of science. These images can peak an interest in a topic one is not familiar with. They also can help the viewer understand a complex process more easily by providing a visual aid.  I think it is a great way to introduce people to a side of science that they do not generally see. I have posted a link to the article below.

6 comments:

  1. Art and science together is a beautiful mix. I love chemistry and when I was younger I would watch Bill Nye the Science guy. I used to create art projects based on what I learned on that show.

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  2. Karen, Integrating science into the art classroom is great way for students to explore other content such as science. Art and science share a common discipline in using their cognitive thinking skills, discovery, and making connections to the real world. The images on the article are amazing and aesthetically pleasing. They definitely have an artistic element to them. I can see students having a great deal interest in these fascinating images.

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  3. Karen, I really appreciate this post! Science and art is probably one of the most beautiful collaborations of subjects I can think of. There are many ways that artists can recreate what they see under a microscope, for example, and make it more enjoyable for the eye. As someone that is squeamish with an appreciation for science, it can get a little gross sometimes, so I prefer to see the more beautiful side of scientific concepts. Well done!

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  4. Karen, I like the idea of using science as an inspirational source for art. Because young artists should look for sources of inspiration from life itself. Thanks to this class, when trying to learning how to make an interdisciplinary between color composition and and music form I couldn’t have done it thoroughly unless there was a scientific explanation. Not that long ago, I stumble upon the experiment of cymatics where mandala shapes appear in sand with sound resonance. Overall science is so curious, implementing science in art becomes a perfect compliment to it.

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  5. This is a nice cross-curricular item you have found. I think the aesthetics of science can appeal to many students and I have always been fascinated with them as well. Adding this to your classroom could have some really cool results especially getting scientific and mathematical students interested in making art.

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  6. I love this, especially because art and science art my two favorite subjects! This is great how students can get a chase to look at the beauty of science from and art perspective! Science can be integrated into art in so many ways, especially earth science and biology. This is a great way to start thinking about creating integration of other subject areas.

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