Chemistry and Art

The “art & technology” movement that began in small pockets around the world in the mid-late 1960's, has now become mainstreamed into the global art world, creating many new fine art [digital] genres. Art-science practice is relatively new.
Here you will find artists that have had a deep-seated passion for science most of their lives. Some of them even received advanced educational degrees in science before switching to the arts. Simultaneously, with the aid of leading-edge technologies, today's scientific discoveries not only astound us, but promise to help solve many of our pressing environmental and human health crisies. The import of science is undeniable. And since artists have always reflected “the times,” art inspired by science is a natural for the beginning of the 21st Century. As part of the Introduction to this year's international digital print competition, ASCI's Director, Cynthia Pannucci, set the challenge for this year's exhibition – “If you extend your imagination beyond the epithelial surface of your body, or into the ether that carries cosmic dust, or even into your kitchen, chemistry can inspire wonder. Like a fabulous menu of concocted primordial soups, when exposed to changes in temperature, pressure, or speed, chemistry can create a stick of dynamite or a magnificent souffle!” Digital2011 was designed to celebrate the International Year of Chemistry by showing us how both artists and scientists view this deeply fundamental, magical enabler of life called chemistry.

EXHIBITION PARTICIPANTS
Trish Adams (Australia), Davide Angheleddu (Italy), Andrew Baird (Australia), Elizabeth Bajbor (Poland), Jadranka Caluccio-Grbic (Italy), Richard Elaver (USA), Brian Evans (USA), Roger Ferragallo (USA), Helen Glazer (USA), Peter Gudynas (UK), David Hylton (USA), Robbin Juris (USA), Katherine Kollins (USA), Andrew Krasnow (USA), Hariclia Michailidou (USA), Art Murphy (USA), Julie Newdoll (USA), Jadwiga Podowska (Norway), Cheryl Safren (USA), Mark Stock (USA), Susana Sulic (France), Alexandra Unger (UK), and Allan Wray (USA).

CO-JUROR COMMENTS
The art co-juror this year, Robert Devcic, owner/curator of GV Art/London gallery, sounded surprised in his Juror Statement when he said “The sheer variety of the works produced by all the artists highlights exactly what ASCI wanted – to open the public’s eyes to the nature of chemistry. Not just the chemistry found in laboratories so secluded from our day-to-day lives, but something active all around us and more than that – something we can find inspirational.”

The science co-juror, Philip Ball, is a noted science writer and author of numerous popular science books. He was revealing in his Statement when he said “Arguably, the most effective images here are those that seem to transcend the knowable, the boundaried, the certain, and familiar. They hark back to the alchemists’ need for allegory, for a hidden code that tries to intimate what we don’t yet fully understand.” [NOTE: Philip Ball was the editor of NATURE magazine for 20-years. He received his Masters degree in chemistry, and has written about Alchemy and authored: Designing the Molecular World: Chemistry at the Frontier, Elegant Solutions: Ten Beautiful Experiments in Chemistry, and The Elements: Very Short Introductions] For the full Introduction & Co-Juror text http://www.asci.org/artikel1155.html

ASCI's SUPPORT OF DIGITAL PRINTS:
ASCI was one of the first art organizations in the world to recognize the digital print as a valid fine art medium in 1998 by organizing an afternoon panel discussion, "Collectibility & the Digital Print." The event was held in The Great Hall at Cooper Union, New York City, in conjunction with ASCI's first international digital print competition/exhibition. http://www.asci.org/Digital98/digipanel.html

Visit ASCI's EXHIBITION ARCHIVE
To view their twelve previous international digital print online exhibitions. http://www.asci.org/artikel62.html

ABOUT ASCI
Founded in 1988 in New York City, Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI) is now an international organization. Its mission is to raise public awareness about artists and scientists using science and technology to explore new forms of creative expression, and to increase communication and collaboration between these fields. It has produced seminal exhibitions, symposia, and projects instrumental in coalescing and nurturing the art-science community. www.asci.org