Letter from the Editor
WHY SCIART?
For all of the ways that science and art differ in their practice, methods, products and
histories, their foundation has remained the
same: an unquenchable thirst for understanding
the nature of our existence. It is this curiosity that has lead to their overlapping interests
throughout time, the study of the human body
being the most popular example. Other worldly
phenomena have been shared by the two disciplines as well; to name one, when Einstein was
formulating his Theory of Special Relativity,
Marcel Duchamp was painting Nude Descending
Staircase, No 2, each in their own way attempting to describe the relationship between space
and time.
It has only been for the past two decades or
so, however, that some artists have turned directly to science as their sole source of artistic
information, inspiration, and conceptualization.
Today there is a new breed of art called sciencebased art, or SciArt for short. Science-based
artists are using current scientific findings as
their subject matter, and the focus in art on science has become much more directed, exciting,
and is overwhelmingly fruitful.
Pushing the known perimeter of sciencebased art into uncharted territories, SciArt can
be made from anything from marble to biological tissue, and I believe we are only at the
beginning of seeing the amazing results of art
created to illuminate the wonders of scientific
discoveries, a subject touched upon in the following article. Painters of physics, sculptors of
neuroscience, photographers of our changing
ecosystem, science-based artists are now holding residencies in laboratories, exhibiting art at
scientific conferences, and collaborating with
scientists directly.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize other organizations which, like SAiA, have
made it their mission to highlight this exciting slice of the art world. For the past 35 years
Art & Science Collaborations, Inc has served as a
critical network for science-based artists, while
SciArt in America August 2013
Julia Buntaine
Leonardo has fostered the cross-fertilization
between art, science and technology, along with
xSEAD and GenSpace. Featured in this issue,
the School of Visual Arts’ NATLab is one of the
only laboratories made for artists, with another
one soon to open at the University of North
Texas.
With science-based art having a strong presence in the UK and Berlin, here at SAiA, we
want to serve as both a resource and publication for the growing SciArt scene in the United
States. Each issue we will feature individual artists, along with SciArt organizations, projects
and events, in attempt to weave closer together
the SciArt community stretched across the
States.
I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue, and the
many more to come. Happy reading.
Julia Buntaine,
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
3