FAS 315 - Art, Science and the Imaginative Process

There is a long tradition of art influenced by biology and other sciences (DaVinci to Hirst), as well as scientific discovery fueled by artistic approaches (Vesalius, Durer, Audubon). We will explore this tradition through case studies on topics such as body, time and place, individuality, and scientific digital imaging techniques. Through this course, students will develop their abiity to ‘read’ a work of art and assess formal qualities of artistic expression, to understand the relationship between works of art and their historic and cultural contexts and to value the role that art plays in life. Given the themes of the course, we will focus on the following areas: contemporary and historical precedence; science research and the factual basis of art pieces (vs. scientific research and the creation of new knowledge); the distinctions between looking and translating, communicating vs. responding. This is both a discussion and studio-based course. Cross-listed as HU 315

Four credits.