Do you ever see art and science being compared as opposing academic fields? Are you someone
in school right now who is being told that you need to choose between a creative/artistic
path vs a technical/science path. Do notice a general societal trend of pigeonholing people
into either the imaginative/creative camp or the logical/analytic camp?
Well, I do, and I think in some cases it’s kind of a problem - to view artistic, creative
fields and scientific, STEM fields as mutually exclusive spheres of human experience. I think
It’s misleading and unhelpful to tell a young person, especially someone who is in
school right now, that they need to choose between being either an “artsy person" or
a “sciencey person.” By categorizing people as either having a creative brain or a logical
brain, we're not only way oversimplifying the complexity of human thinking, but also
potentially limiting people’s perceptions of what they’re capable of.
Fundamentally, most of us are very curious, we're all trying to understand and figure
out the world in some way - whether it’s through scientific models or philosophical
inquiries. We all need to develop practical skills and problem solving abilities - whether
it’s in conducting scientific experimentation or creating a work of art. And we all sometimes
have to think outside the box, or be "creative” with our ideas - whether it’s with scientific
theories or artistic concepts.
Historically - we didn’t actually always have such a harsh division between art and
science as we do now. Many of us are probably familiar with Renaissance artists such as
Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. And while people nowadays primarily think of them as
“artists.” They were also considered some of the forefront scientific thinkers of their
time. Leonardo for instance was known for his accurate cartographic maps, anatomic studies
and engineering inventions. While Michelangelo was also known for his accurate studies and
depiction of human anatomy, as well as being one of the most prominent architects in Renaissance
Italy.
So when I was a kid - a kid who liked art, math and science at the same time - for some
reason I was always being told by my teachers, councillors and family that eventually I would
have to choose one thing or another. That I couldn’t possibly have a career that involved
all of these things. And I was kinda of always in a state of conflict throughout all of my
school life because of this. And I really hope that somebody who is going through school
right now can realize that they really don't have to be.
Now - as somebody who works in the architectural design industry - I not only think arts and
sciences are related - as a matter of fact, I feel like they’re kind of inseparable.
When I'm working on a project, I constantly have to consider the practicalities and functional
outcomes of my ideas - which not only involves logical and analytical thinking, but it also
requires technical knowledge and understanding in things like materials, construction assemblies,
and technical standards. While at the same time I definitely need to engage the imaginative
aspect of my thinking in order to create visually interesting spaces and comfortable environments.
When it comes to artists, a lot of people seem to have a misconception that they all
tend to be emotionally driven and kind of only create works based on instinct and spontaneity.
And while some artists are emotionally driven, and while some do seem to create works that
look random, most artistic creations actually involve a lot of technical skill. For example
- a typical oil painter needs to have a lot technical knowledge, understanding and experience
in things like preparing paint surfaces, interactions between different binding agents and pigments,
effects of different varnishes, drying time of different materials, and many other things.
And while inspiration and instinct are sometimes important - most of what artists actually
do on a daily basis are generally very systematic and methodical.
The museum world also involves a lot of scientific knowledge and understanding - art historians
are always using science to try to understand art - whether it’s through imaging techniques
to see the under-painting of an artwork or inspecting materials of a particular paint
surface to look into a work’s past. Conservationists also use all a variety of methods to preserve
art - as a matter of fact there are some ARTiculations videos about some of those things.
Thanks for watching! I’ve been wanting make a video about the intersection of art and
science for a long time and was finally inspired to make this video after attending various
Youtube EDU panels at Vidcon this year - where panelists such as Emily Graslie, Michael Stevens
and Sarah Urist Green talked about the importance of both art and science fields, as well as
being a part of the STEAM movement where we approach learning and education in a more
integrated way.
So what do you guys think? Do you see art and science as opposing forces? Or do you
think they could actually work very well together? What other professions can you guys think
of where you need both a scientific and creative background? Let me know down below in the
comments.