National Art Education Association

Instructional Resources: Art and Physics Author(s): Suesi Metcalf Reviewed work(s): Source: Art Education, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Jan., 2004), pp. 25-32 Published by: National Art Education Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3194081 . Accessed: 29/02/2012 17:11
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INSTRUCTIONA

Art and Physics

BY SUESI METCALF
"...The importance for creative thinking of the domain where art and science merge has been emphasized by great philosopher-scientists of the twentieth century Bohr, Einstein, Heisenberg, and Poincare. For in their research the boundaries between disciplines are often dissolved and they proceed neither deductively through logic nor inductively through the exclusive use of empirical data, but by visual thinking and aesthetics." (Miller,1996, p. 107)

(Middle and high school students, grades 8-10)

Objectives
These lesson planideas are designedto guideteachersof art andof science to encouragetheirstudentsto see connections between artimagesandphysicsprinciples.Thefourworks of artexploredhere are examplesthatcan be linkedvisuallyand to physicspropertiesin mathematics, conceptually space, energy,andlight.Thediscussionquestionsare designedfor grades8 through10.Artteachersareurgedto sharethis article with science teachers;teamteachingwith a science teacher wouldbe especiallyappropriate. One of the strengthsof art lies in its power to facilitatevisual thinking,to find and makevisual connectionsbetween ideas, and to explore visual and conceptualopposites through imagery.Scientists do these things as well, in their exploration of the physicalworld.Interdisciplinary approachesto learning lead to a deeper understanding in each subjectarea,surpassing what is typicallylearnedwhen subjects are taughtseparately (Caine& Caine,1994).The process of clarifyingknowledgeby using visual informationcan occur by thinkingcriticallyabout or throughthe act of creatinga work of art.

In the school curriculum, physics and art are typicallytreated as havingvery little in common.Science, with its linear thoughtprocesses, has historicallybeen viewed as a discipline that relies on precise knowledge.Art,on the other hand, appearsto be based on cultural,individual,or groupopinion. On close inspection,however,we find that the two subjects share thoughtprocesses. Artist Information Lowebeganher careerin artas a fiberartistexperiLynda mentingwith oppositessuch as chaos and control,and definition andintuition,in an abstractstyle usinghandmade felt, gesso, andpaint(Smith,2001).Not long ago, Lowewas inspired Shlain's by Leonard book,Art and Physics:ParallelVisionsin Space,Timeand Light (Shlain,1991),which suggestedthat artisticexploration precedes andoften leads to corresponding scientificdiscoveries.Thisbook changedLowe'swork.It inspiredherto explorethe connectionbetween artandscience in termsof the "manner andthe languagethat scientists and artistsuse to process information and experiences(esp. in Psi)" (Lowe,2000).Loweexplorestheories of physics in her paintings of words andimages. througha combination

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Wiens(Wiens& Shlain,1999),an artistand art critic,wrote of the common elements of intuitionand cognitionthat are inherentin both art and physics, and are addressedin Lowe's work: Lowe'spaintingsare explorationsof the points at Lynda whichprocesses of artisticandscientificinvestigation merge.Whilescience andartare oftenperceivedas linear philosophicaloppositesthe objective,analytical, progressionof a scientifictheoryto its indisputable conclusionversusthe subjective,intuitive,whimsical manifestation of an artisticideain physicalform-any visionaryartistor scientistwill acknowledgethe vast commongroundbetweenthe two... It is this common groundthatboth disciplinesmust occupyin orderto progress,this rigorousprocess of questioning, andadjusting ourperceptions challenging, experimenting, thatLowe'sworkaddresses.(p. 1) accordingly,

Randomness:Whichartistsare known for randomnessand/or in their work?How do they achieve it? non-randomness Whendoes a scientist use (JacksonPollock's"actionpainting") a randomsystem?(Duringexperiments,in creativethinking) Whatare some visual results of randomnessin nature?(fallen leaves, animaltracks) Intuition and cognition:How are both types of knowledge used by the artistand the scientist? Images:How does the scientist use images?(metaphorically, as a map, as a record,througha diagram)Scientists Einstein, Descarte,Kukele,and Crickand Watsonall thoughtin images (Polanski,2000). Whatfound images do artistsuse in their work?(AndyWarhol, the works of collage artistsRobert GeorgesBraque,and RomareBearden) Rauschenberg,

Artist Information
in 1908.His earlymedical VictorVasarely was bornin Hungary training,experiencesat the Bauhaus,influenceof contempoandJosef Albers,and his lifelongfascinarariesPiet Mondrian tion with linearpatternsresultedin hard-edged imageswith an on movement and the interaction of form surface emphasis andcolor. variedthe styles of his non-representational Vasarely images. This one is describedas "expansive/regressive." Thoughwe can understand art,Vasarely explained,his representational imagesput us into "complexspace-timestructuresthat lie beyond our scope" (Vasarely, 1978,p. 131),addressingthe quickenedpace of life where reflectionand detail are lost. from a state of Vasarely's paintingsrepresenttransformation, calm stasis to increasinglyactive motion,and are designedto have an instantand powerfulimpact.Vasarely(1978) clarified "We his view of the natureof this transformation, suddenly find ourselvesat the limits of the sciences. Artwill be science"
(p. 131).

Psi. Lynda Lowe, 1999

Oil on board, 18.5" x 12" (detail) With permissionof the artist Lowe entitles this artworkPsi, the Greeksymbolfor the wave functionof light;it is part of her series entitled"Formand Measure." This image is a detail,a rectanglealmost centeredin a largerand darkerrectanglethat is twice as high andjust over twice as wide as this.

Questions for Discussion

* How does Lynda Lowehandlelight?Arethereshadows? Whyor why not?Describethe direction,intensity,and distribution of lightin this work.Describethe kindof energy or mood thatis portrayed. * Howis space used?Whichis predominant, figureor ground? to the mood of this How does the use of space contribute Thinkof one changethe artistcould makein the use painting? of space:Howwouldthatchangeaffectyourreactionsto this work? * Howis researchevidentin the artwork? Whatdoes the title meanandhow does it relateto the imagery? * Describethe skills required to paintan imageof a scientific like this. concept

Art and Physics Connections

How do artistsin variousmediause visiblestructure Structure: in theirart?(Piet Mondrian). Whatdoes a physicistview as structure? (mass,atoms,force) Namephysicistswho created visualizable structuresto explaintheirfindings(JamesD. Watson's andFrancisH. C.Crick's structurein DNA).Examine visualstructures(the FDAs"foodpyramid" or Edward Tufte's books on the visualpresentationof information) (Tufte1983, 1990,1997).

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x 24". R.H.Love Victor 1970. oncanvas, 47.5" Untitled. Acrylic Vasarely, Gallery.

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Untitled. Victor Vasarely, 1970

on canvas,47.5" x 24" Acrylic R H. LoveGallery

Questions for Discussion

* Describethe space thatVasarely paints.Whydo some call it Is the space actualor illusionary? "expansive/regressive"? How does the intensityof color addto the illusionof 3-dimenin physics? sionality?Whatcouldbe consideredillusionary How is it similarandhow is it differentfromthe illusionthat Vasarely presentsto us in his painting? * DescribeVasarely's workin one word.Does thatwordrelate to physics,andif so, how? * Thinking backto Lynda Lowe'sinterestin opposites,what wordswouldconveythe oppositeof Vasarely's work? * Whydo you thinkVasarely chose not to title his artwork? Thinkof five differenttitles, each conveyinga different of the painting. interpretation

After30 years of doing representational painting,Love created FractureZone IV,part of a series of non-objectiveabstractions he calls "Quantum Love attemptsto revealthe Images." invisibleworld of subatomicactivity:His paintingsare not but are "aestheticapproximations" illustrations, representing the energeticactivityof subatomicparticlesand such concepts as time sequence,streaming,quarks,and the energeticactivity that exists in a billionthof a millisecond.He describesthe middleparts of these images as spatial"zippers," pulsinglines of energyand atomic collision. Ligocki(1991) wrote of Love's influencesfor creatingthis series: Thepainteralludesto HaroldRosenberg's talk of filling the void with artisticevidencesof humanemotionsand philosophythatthe energyandrefersto HansHofmann's endproductis strictlyartisticambitionmademanifeston canvas.Beyondthatthough,Loveattemptsto evoke from the viewera sense of uncommonspatialdimensions createdbyjuxtaposedcolor-textured areaswhichthen serve as the expansefor quantum (p. 3) magnitude.

Art and Physics Connections

Namedifferenttechniquesan artistcoulduse in Technique: illusionisticart.Whattechniquesdoes makingtwo-dimensional a physicistuse to studythe visibleworld?Howis the workof the two professionssimilarandhow is it different? Tools: Whatkinds of tools do artistsuse? Physicists?How are the tools of the two professions similarand how are they different? How do artistsuse geometry?(enlarginga drawing, Geometry: balancingsculpture,creatingholograms)How do physicists use geometry?(creatingholograms,for mathematical calculations) Chemistry:How do artistsuse chemistry,now and in earlier eras?In what ways do physicists use chemistry? Physics: How can an artistuse physics?Cana physicistbe an artist?Canyou find artisticimages in a physics book?

Fracture Zone IV. Richard H. Love

Latexand acrylicon canvas,48" x 96.5" R.H.LoveGallery

Questions for Discussion

* Howis Love'sworkstructured? Whatcreates,or could create, balance?How does Love'simageryrelateto quantum physics? * Howwouldyou paintsubatomicactivity? Whatcolors would you use, andwhy?Howwouldyourpaintingbe the same/ differentfromLove'spainting? * How does the title of the paintingrelateto quantum physics? Suggestthreetitles for this piece; select andexplainthe one that seems most appropriate. * Whatfeelingdo you get fromLove'spainting? How does the paintingcreatethe moodthatit does? Couldyou describethe paintingas static,or as havingenergy?Why?

Artist Information
H.Lovehas been involvedin the artworldin many Richard differentways.A formercollege arthistoryinstructor, he has writtenbooks and catalogueson artandartists,andhe is the ownerof R.H.LoveGalleriesin Chicago.He has provided "Comments on FineArt" on WEFM andWBBM (Chicago),has hostedAmericanArtForumon publictelevision,andcontinues to paintandexhibithis work.Loveis not a physicist,but a physicist lookingat one of his paintingsonce remarked, "That's pretty muchhow I envisionit."Hepaintsthingswe cannotsee, as do otherartistswho paintthingswe haveneverseen such as fairies andmonsters.

Art and Physics Connections

Segments:Whatis a segmentin physics?How do artistsuse segments? Units:How does a physicist use or define "unit?" An artist? (Thinkof architecture, quilts) Integers:How do artistsuse numbers?How are these uses differentand/orthe same as the ways physicists use numbers? Canyou name artistswho incorporateintegersin their art? (JasperJohns, MarsdenHartley)

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Fracture Zone IV. H.Love. Richard Latex and x 96.5". R.H.Love oncanvas, 48" acrylic Gallery.

INSTRUCTIONAL
Elements:Whatare elements in art?Are there similarities and/ordifferencesin the way elements are used/defined between the fields of art and physics? Particles:How does a physicist defineparticle?Whatdo models of particleslook like?Are there artistswho use particles,or the idea of particles,in their work? Energy:How do the thoughtsabout energydifferbetween the scientist and the artist?Is the differenceconceptual?Visual? Artist Information Richard bor 1916,workedas a secretaryso he Pousette-Dart, couldbe free to paintanddrawin the evening.Pousette-Dart's imageswere inspiredby his deep mysticalandspiritual concerns.His numerousone-manexhibitionsincludedthe abstractart(1944), Museumof ModemArt'sexhibithighlighting in "Art of ThisCentury andalso PeggyGuggenheim's Gallery" New York(1947)(Rothenstein,1971). Pousette-Dart made connectionsbetween art and science not in subject matter,but in attitude.He is interestedin opposites, embracingdualitiessuch as life and stasis, the humanand the cosmic. He is quotedas saying,"Thehighest knowingis unknowing" (Hobbs, 1990,p. 80). This statementis reminiscent is true knowledge" of Easternphilosophy."Not-knowing (Lao-tzu,1988,p. 71), a translationfromthe Tao TeChing. sees Easternphilosophy,the valuingof the Pousette-Dart to what we know in orderto look with the ability "forget" for both art and of unknowingeyes a child, as appropriate In the mind can be clouded science by what a physics. to find, or what has been historically researchermight "expect" In art the same can be true. It is commonto see "known." young artists'contourdrawingsof a tennis shoe containboth lines showing what they "see"in the beautifulsensual outer in the stiff lines what they "know" lines and lines illustrating of crossed laces. Accurateperception,uncloudedby what a is necessaryfor discoveryin both art and person "knows," science. Pool of Contemplation. Oilon linen, 33" x 60" R.H. LoveGallery Richard Pousette-Dart

Aesthetic Questions for Discussion

* Whatcolors do you see andhow arethey used?Couldthe dots representa microcosmor a macrocosm?If this was a picture uses of something,whatmightit be, andwhy?Pousette-Dart did:how arethe two dots of color,as the Impressionists Inwhatways does this paintingnot look techniquessimilar? Does this pointillisttechnique like an Impressionist painting? relatedirectlyto anyscientificprinciple? * Whatscientificprinciples,inventions,or theoriesdoes this imagebringto mind? * Whatwordswouldyou use to describethe energyqualityof Whattechniques,elements,or principlesdoes this painting? the artistuse to createthis particular qualityof energy? * Howwouldyou describethis artist's use of lightand/orof contrast?

Art and Physics Connections

Easternphilosophy:How do the principlesof Easternphilosophies become visiblein art?Canyou nameseveralartistsor whatwe culturesthatbase theirarton the idea of "forgetting know"? Symbols:How do physicists and artistsuse symbols?Whatare some of the symbols each professionuses? Listsome symbols that appearin works of art from our own and other cultures. Knowledge: Capra(1991) describesmodem physics as interdependent partsthat formpatternsto be discoveredand representedas objects. Pool of Contemplation How do you interpretPousette-Dart's in terms of patterns?Whatmightthis piece representif it is A macrocosmic interpretedas a microscopicenlargement? image?

Objectives/Assessment
Thestudents,workingin smallgroups,will be ableto compile a list of five ways thatartistsandscientiststhinkalike. Assessment:Onepointfor each acceptableanswer. To aid studentsin gainingperspective,they will discuss their art and concept with at least two other students.Studentsare encouragedto give feedbackto each presentingartist. Assessment:Did the studentpresent his/herart clearly?Did the studentprovidefeedbackto at least one other student? The studentwill be given a list of questionsto answer in small grouppresentations.How successful was the student'svisualization of a scientificprinciple?Weresymbols or metaphors used to strengthenthe visual idea of your scientific principle? Describeyour finishedwork of art. Assessment:Studentsin the groupwill have a checklist to assess theirpeers and themselves.

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x 60". R.H.Love Pool Richard Oil onlinen, ofContemplation. Pousette-Dart. 33" Gallery.

Peer Checklist
How successfully did the student present his/her art and the corresponding scientific principle? To what degree did the student demonstrate understanding of a scientific principle in group presentation? (Excellent, Good, Okay, Poor, Unacceptable) To what degree did the student demonstrate understanding of a scientific principle in a finished painting? (Excellent, Good, Okay, Poor, Unacceptable)

REFERENCES
Caine, R. N., & Caine, G. (1994). Making connections: Teaching and the human brain. Menlo Park, CA:Addison-Wesley. Capra, F (1991). The tao ofphysics. Boston: Shambhala. Hobbs, R. (1990). Confronting the unknown within. In R. Hobbs & J. Kuebler (Eds.). Richard Pousette-Dart. Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis Museum of Art. Lao-tzu.(1988). Tao te ching. (S. Mitchell, Trans.). New York:Harper & Row. Ligocki, G. (1991). Quantum images. In R. H. Love (Ed.), Quantum images. Chicago: Haase-Mumm Publishing Company. Lowe, L. (2000). E-mail correspondence with the author. Miller A. I. (1996). Visualization lost and regained: The genesis of the quantum theory in the period 1913-1927. In T. Druckery (Ed.). Electronic culture technology and visual representation. (pp. 86107). New York:Aperture. Polanski, G. J. (2000, May 27). In congruity LyndaLowe: New paintings. Artscope Review. Rothenstein, J. (Ed.). (1971). New international illustrated encyclopedia of art (Vols. 16 & 22). New York:Greystone Press. Shlain, L. (1991). Art and physics: Parallel visions in space, time and light. New York:William Morrow. Smith, B. L. (2001, Winter). Intellect and intuition: The paradoxical pairings of Lynda Lowe. Surface Design 25 (2), 36-39. Tufte, E.R. (1983). The visual display of quantitative information. Cheshire, CT:Graphics Press. Tufte, E.R. (1990). Envisioning information. Cheshire, CT:Graphics Press. Tufte, E.R. (1997). Visual explanations. Cheshire, CT:Graphics Press. Vasarely,V. (1978). Vasarely. (I. M. Paris, Trans.). New York:Alpine Fine Arts Collection, Ltd. Wiens, A. & Shlain, L. (1999). Lynda Lowe: Form and measure. DeKalb, IL:Northern Illinois University Art Museum Gallery in Chicago.

Self-Evaluation
Writetwo paragraphs. In paragraph one include a description of your painting and how it corresponds to your scientific principle. In the second paragraph describe how you would assess yourself. Make sure to include what you find as important indicators that you were successful or not successful with this assignment. After viewing and discussing the four images by Lowe, Love, Vasarely, and Pousette-Dart, the student will choose a scientific principle and complete a visual representation of that principle in the form of a painting, color drawing, or collage. Assessment: To what degree did the student visually and conceptually create art that was based on a scientific concept? The student can list five ways he/she used ideas in both art and physics. Suesi Metcalf is a visiting professor at Northern Illinois University. E-mail:smetcaljfniu.edu

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