Last night, the Global Challenges cohort and I were invited
along to the Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA).
I’m not sure many universities take their science students
to visit art museums. Traditionally of
course, there have been many great artist-scientists including Leonardo da
Vinci and many others.
As science students studying entrepreneurship this was the
perfect opportunity to unleash our inner creativity.
The evening started off with a tour of ‘Figure Sculpture’ an
exhibit by Australian artist Linda Marrinon.
Artwork by Linda Marrinon
Image credit: http://melbourneartnetwork.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/
uploads/2015/06/Marrinon_Revolutionist_600.jpg
Modest and understated, Marrinon’s work was juxtaposed by ‘Girl
with Pigeon’ created by Czech artist Dominik Lang. I found Lang’s work
to be inspiring and thought-provoking as he brought his sculptures to life.
Heavily influenced by the Soviet era, his work evoked a sense of melancholy and
turmoil which was immediately striking.
Girl with Pigeon by Dominik Lang
Image credit:https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CKfVguTUsAAKCuF.jpg
Lang reminded me of how transformative art can
really be. You don’t have to look far to find artists making powerful
statements about important issues.
The graffiti artist Banksy for example, famously used
the walls of the West Bank barrier to make a political statement that was heard around the world. Whatever
side of the issue you sit on, you have to admit that at least he was courageous enough to use his platform as an artist.
Artwork by Banksy
Image credit: http://lifewithoutbuildings.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/banksy-palestine.jpg
The science community needs to recognise the power of art
and use it to argue our case. Whether it is fuelling discussion on climate
change or bringing awareness to new research, art is being underused by scientists.
After all, nothing operates in a vacuum. It is time we started to use
the tools (or paintbrushes) around us.
As Leonardo da Vinci said:
‘To develop a complete mind: study the science of art; study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.’
What are your thoughts? How can we explore the relationship
between science and art?
Comment down below.
- 04:51
- 1 Comments