Intersections Art and Science

September 04, 2019

Art and Science my two loves. When they are combined together it is pure magic and alluring to the eyes and soul. Though these two are very complimentary to each other, they can also be very contrasting as well. As I was digging deep into the combination of these two ideas I stumbled upon a very compelling article. An article called How Art and Science Intersect by Zayan Guedim. What I found super fascinating was how he mentioned Steve Jobs. Zayan mentions how Steve Jobs was known for his artistically scientific approach to the Apple products that were created. As Zayan says Jobs considered computers as a work of art. I believe this 100%. In my eyes, the way the format and models of these devices are and how they fit in our hands is so aesthetic and pleasing to use and look at. No wonder why he created them with such taste.

In the contemporary world, one of my favorite artists, Salvador Dali. Zayan describes Dali’s work as “augmenting reality in his own way, with multi-layered images that evoke the fleeting nature of the reality in the world.” Dali challenges the meaning of art. He interprets the world in paradoxical forms through Cubism, Surrealism, Dada and of course modern art. I notice the use of shapes in his pieces. They tell a story of their own. Like science there were many details that he payed attention to when creating. Every shape line and tone has a purpose just like every chemical and experiment has a purpose. Everything matters. It all contributes to the greater meaning of the piece or science experiment. According to sothebys.com, Dali was influenced by Sigmund Freud’s theories of Psychoanalysis. He reached a level of subconsciousness when making his art. It’s almost as if he was creating his pieces in his sleep.

Through reading Zayan’s article I discovered another gentleman who literally combines art with science on a micro level. His name is Zachary Copfer. “During his graduate research he invented a new medium that combines photographic processes with microbiological practices.” He calls this new medium bacteriography. Copfer's process, “consists of shooting radiation through a negative on to a petri dish covered with bacteria. The end product is a plate of bacteria that have grown to form a photographic image.” I was so intrigued with this idea. I love science and photography myself so the literal intersection of these two is a dream. What makes these pieces so unique is the historical significance of the people he bacteriographs.

A historical example of the intersection of art and science is Walt Disney. I did some research on Huff post and it turns out SteamBoat Willie was an enormous contribution to both art and science. According to Huff post, “With the combination of music, synchronized sound effects and later additions of color, it transformed animation into a more practical impression of real life.” I never realized this but yes it is true. Mickey is an iconic and ionic form of both art and science. He represents life and morals yet when sound, and movement was added it brought a whole new layer of human to the picture. Mickey became more than just some lines and shading on paper. He came alive.