Thursday, October 29, 2015

Re: [Yasmin_discussions] Why do Scientists engage in Art-Science practices today?

My formal training is in cell biology, but now I work on Greenhouse Gas
inventories to identify opportunities to mitigate gases in agronomic
systems. I make art, because frankly, science does a poor job expressing
Wonder. Didn't we all become scientists (or artists) because of wonder?
When I read my first JCB article, I cried. While I will never be able to
be free of the scientific method which I fundamentally adore having frame
my life (but which sometimes feels like it hinders my art practice -or an
idea of it), I make art because I want others to 'see' or 'feel' or
'sense' what is wonderfully understood by the hand of science. This whole
science-art thing makes me crazy. But the pursuit of wonder, that is
where it's at. That is the juice that makes science, art, literature
dazzle. And when that wonder translates, it nestles into our hearts,
helping us to understand the world, ourself, and our own special ethics of
being within it.

I make science-based conceptual art. To note, it is very hard for me to
make art with my current scientific research. Most of my art references
something I have done, learned from others. I do think there was a
critical moment when I gave up being a Scientist - it involved the
scientifically-damned word 'metaphor' - and settled into being instead a
scientist and an artist. As a result, being an artist doesn't really
translate as a professional-worry in my science career. I will say
though, it's very hard to allow myself to 'play' artistically with my
science research that I am trying very hard to be accurate about (not to
be read as lacking creativity, just a very different goal). This
inability to make art with my current research used to bother me, but my
art practice has become its own inquiry. Now mostly, my struggle is about
time management, shifting gears and passions.


On 10/28/15 11:13 PM, "yasmin_discussions-bounces@estia.media.uoa.gr on
behalf of roger malina" <yasmin_discussions-bounces@estia.media.uoa.gr on
behalf of rmalina@alum.mit.edu> wrote:

>Yasminers
>
>As part of our discussion on emerging topics for the SEAD study 5 year
>update
>https://seadnetwork.wordpress.com/
>
>We ask the question
>
>Why do Scientists engage in Art-Science practices today?
>
>Moderated by Guillermo Munoz and Roger Malina
>Colleagues
>
>Are you a scientist engaged in art-science practices ? Why do you invest
>
>time and energy? We hope the scientists on this list will send us a
>paragraph or two max
>
>explaining why as scientists they are engaged in art-science practices.
>
>
>At the Yasmin 10th anniversary in Valencia last week, organized by
>Guillermo
>
>Munoz, we had a chance to discuss many topics. One topic that came up is
>
>the growing number of research scientists engaged in art-science
>practices.
>
>Guillermo is a young physicist in the nano sciences, and I am a a mid
>career
>
>astrophysicist now become an art-science researcher. Why are we as
>scientists
>
>engaged in art-science practices ? For young, and older, scientists
>this can present serious
>
>career risks since many science establishments are very conservative
>and disciplinary
>
>and do not see the value of such activities.
>
>As a result we have put together an initial small informal network of
>scientific
>
>colleagues who have professional activities in the arts:
>
>
>Wendy Silk- Environmental Science, Susan Eriksson- Geosciences
>Robert Root Bernstein Physiology, Roger Malina Astronomy, Guillermo
>Munoz Nano Science
>Francois Joseph Lapointe molecular biology, Dhru Deb Oncology,
>Michelle Root Bernstein: Bio Scientist
>
>We have named our collective the ³Scientists Mercado Central Exchange¹
>
>because the idea was born during a meal at the central market in Valencia.
>
>The discussion will take place on the YASMIN discussion list: subscribe at
>
>http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>
>You can also follow the discussion without participating at our blog site
>
>http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/
>
>We welcome short one/two paragraph posts from all scientists in this list
>explain your scientific activities, your art science ones and tell us why
>you do this !
>
>Guillermo Munoz and Roger Malina on behalf of the Scientists
>Mercado Central Exchange
>
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>
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>
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SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and password in the fields found further down the page.
HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
TO ENABLE / DISABLE DIGEST MODE: in the options page, find the "Set Digest Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
If you prefer to read the posts on a blog go to http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/