M's Art Portfolio

Art and Science

Art and science may seem like opposites, but they have influenced each other for centuries. During the Renaissance, both fields relied on precise visual observation, with figures like Brunelleschi and Leonardo da Vinci playing pivotal roles...

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Art and science may seem like opposites, but they have influenced each other for centuries. During the Renaissance, both fields relied on precise visual observation, with figures like Brunelleschi and Leonardo da Vinci playing pivotal roles. For example, Brunelleschi invented linear perspective and designed the dome of the Florence Cathedral. Leonardo's scientific observations and technical proposals continue to be awe-inspiring.

In the late 18th century, natural history and visual aesthetics began to merge. David Elliston Allen suggested that as geology explored the forces shaping Earth, art pursued new representations of beauty and awe in the concept of the sublime.

By the 19th century, impressionist painter Georges Seurat integrated recent optical studies into color representation. In the early 20th century, Kandinsky, shaken by Rutherford's discovery that "the atom is mostly empty," questioned the solidity of the physical world and turned toward more abstract, spiritual art.

Art Reflecting Science

Catherine Wagner's "Art & Science: An Exploration of Matter" and "Science Project: A Taxonomy of Images." Meanwhile, the Whitney Biennial presents Douglas Blau's "Sacred Allegory," a work that delves into the connection between science and art through various images focused on scientists and scientific concepts.

"Art can only view things through the lens of its time. The style of arranging large subjects or similar objects in grids reflects recent approaches in art and photography."

Wagner's work captures scientific tools and specimens in black-and-white photography that mirrors a scientific approach of objectivity and precision. These objects transcend the lab, symbolizing scientific exploration itself.

Photography has significantly impacted science. In the 19th century, it provided reliability and accurate recording in research, enabling global knowledge sharing. Today, digital imaging technologies like MRI and PET scans allow complex visualizations by computers.

The Dual Cultures of Science and Art

Abstract art, though complex, does not alienate like scientific terminology might. As C.P. Snow noted in "The Two Cultures," though science and the humanities are still worlds apart, scientists feel comfortable visiting art museums, while liberal arts majors rarely set foot in molecular biology labs.

Blau's "Sacred Allegory" uses collage to explore the awe and mystery surrounding science, featuring illustrations, movie stills, and art replicas covering an entire wall. It draws on themes from alchemy to "Frankenstein," and even everyday acts like cooking, framing them as forms of scientific inquiry.

Auckland, NZ 2024

Photo, 2024