The Art of Science and the Science of Art

A discussion of the inherent link between art and science and of the false idea that the two are fundamentally separated.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• art
• science
• philosophy
• ontology
• epistemology
• values
• morality

[spamsponge]

I don't think it's possible to "randomly" fling paint on canvas if your intent is to make abstract art. Each splatter influences your next one. Random stuff happens but you make conscious decisions about how to proceed. If you accidentally knocked over some cans of paint and the result was interesting that could be considered random. Or maybe if you did the entire thing blindfolded, without knowing what colors you were given. Most of the time art is a very purposeful and guided act.

[XOmniverse]

I agree that it's not truly random, but would you agree that it would be nearly impossible for someone to know what the artist was trying to communicate by looking at the final product?

[sharperguy]

Wait wait wait wait wait.

You're sitting in front of a camera, expression your opinions about art and science, and you say you haven't found a medium to express yourself?

[XOmniverse]

I meant artistically. Like music, painting, etc.

[dakshinamurti]

X , Sorry man, but you have a very narrow view of art, and dismissing post-modern art by calling people who enjoy it and relate to it "idiots" is roughly a rational argument, and really off-putting if you ask me. I have studies art in college for 5 years and I am perfectly capable of enjoying and at least understanding and respecting all forms of it. I recommend that you read the book "Ways of worldmaking" by Nelson Goodman, and specifically the chapter called "When is art?" if you are serious.

[XOmniverse]

To be clear, all I said is that randomly flinging paint at a canvas is not art in any useful or meaningful sense and that SOME post-modern idiots would disagree with me.

[qtronman]

The divide between science and art is institutionalized. I attended a conference on "personality type" and you were either scientific and logical or emotional and artistic. These false divides are all over the play; it comes from bad philosophy.

[NeutrinoideReturns]

I studied arts for 3 years and what I understand is that Art is the science of interaction between the sensorial and cognitive reaction.

[Psyentists]

@XOmniverse I agree. I think that if you wanted to help abused children, you would write a book about that specific subject, and not something like Harry Potter- which requires in depth psychoanalysis to even realize what it's about.

[chibiariel]

I can see that. I wouldn't say those things (splashed paint) are not art, but I personally don't like them. I just don't see what's so special about drawing lines on canvas with a stick or sitting for 20 hrs trying to draw a line as slowly as possible.

I'm a visual artist primarily and love science, and I use science and maths in my art all the time. Actually, I just made a blog post about art + golden ratio + Fibonacci sequence a couple days ago. XD

[adrienlucca]

@XOmniverse

It might be wrong, men, to think that a painter wants to 'communicate' something with the painting...

On the other hand, dude, you have to know that art (good art), is as precise as science, there's no random in it, not more than noise in a scientific model.

[adrienlucca]

@XOmniverse

It might be wrong, men, to think that a painter wants to 'communicate' something with the painting...

On the other hand, dude, you have to know that art (good art), is as precise as science, there's no random in it, not more than noise in a scientific model.

[shaqair24]

on this topic, might enjoy Edward O. Wilson's Consilience, which draws art and science together.

[doublejay29]

That's the truth. Well put.

[ljohnblaze]

agreed. great video!

[Virtueman1]

I study engineering at a university which name has the subtitle "Science & Art".

And this kind of bugs me because there is no art whatsoever going on in that school. The most artistic it gets, is when students design various things to look nice, but the designs in a technical university always has to have a certain utility.

I think its like this: where utility enters, it stops being "pure" art. Art has only one "utility" which has to deal with conciousness and emotions.

[TheStevenShafer]

I would contend that the incoherence of post modern art is in fact the perfect expression of post modernist values: Incoherence.