A DINNAE KEN [I DON’T KNOW] Wattspace Gallery, Newcastle
5 - 23 March 2014
Claire Docherty • Lynsey Ferguson • Yasmin Fong • Lynne McBride Ksenja Seiz • Andrew Styan • Charlotte Wilkie Sullivan
A DINNAE KEN [I DON’T KNOW]
An exploration of the intersection of science and art by the students of the Art, Science and Visual Thinking course of the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee, Scotland. Curated by Andrew Styany Andrew Styan
Made possible through the financial support of the International Office, The University of Newcastle
Introduction The relationships between the arts and the sciences have long been a focus of fascination and investigation by practitioners and theorists across multiple disciplines. In recent years however these negotiations appear to have become increasingly dynamic and critical. Perhaps this is as a result of the ever increasing rate of technological development and social change the inherent ethical, environmental and societal issues and the associated personal and global impact of such change – or perhaps it is simply the same age old motivation to explore the world around us and understand how life functions. Either way, it is certain that new conceptual frameworks are emerging and cross-disciplinarity and collaboration are indicative of such practice. This is clearly evident in the student work presented here and I am delighted to have the opportunity to introduce this exhibition. I would like to congratulate all of the exhibiting artists, and particularly Andrew Styan for co-ordinating and curating this event as an outcome of his participation in the ‘Art, Science & Visual Thinking’ module whilst on student exchange to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art (DJCAD), University of Dundee. This module offers a project based approach for students to explore aspects of the inter-relationship between the arts and sciences by providing a framework for practical (studio) investigation, critical (seminar) debate and reflective practice. It aims to introduce students to both contemporary and historical debate regarding the relationships between art and science and provide a framework for inter-disciplinarity and collaboration. This module has been developed over recent years with colleagues Professor Murdo Macdonald & Dr Alan Prescott. It has been made possible through the continued support from colleagues across the University and City Council as well as from the numerous artists, scientists and researchers who have kindly contributed their time and resources to support this initiative. I hope that we can continue to build on this success and, through exhibitions such as this, expand the opportunities for debate, interaction and collaboration across disciplines and communities. Dr Paul Liam Harrison Visual Research Centre The University of Dundee
Claire Docherty
(Dundee, Scotland)
The Slightest Thing, 2013 ink on paper, video (5m21s) My name is Claire Docherty and I am currently in my third year at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. Last semester I was part of an Art and Science module. The work presented has mainly been inspired by an interest in probability. Throughout the module I experimented with dropping a coin onto sheets of paper. These experiments have been controlled to observe what effect different heights or number of drops have on the pattern the coin leaves behind. Photography has also been an interest throughout this project and with the help of Dr. Paul Campbell I gained a better understanding of highspeed photography and how the camera itself works. Looking into photography has allowed me to create video works based on the movement and sound of the coins.
c.a.docherty@dundee.ac.uk
Lynsey Ferguson
(Dundee, Scotland)
Fluid Dynamics, 2013 photolithographs Influenced by the research of Dr. Yong Sung Park, lecturer in Civil Engineering at Dundee University, I was inspired by his interest in fluid flow. After a meeting and further research into his practices, I was fascinated by the visual results created from fluid flow tracking. Working equally with photography and printmaking, I have captured my images directly onto photographic paper and by using digital photography. After selecting areas of the images I ďŹ nd most fascinating, I have then developed these onto photolithography plates and created two-tonal prints in various colours. Duality is a running theme within my work and the abstract quality of the images make differentiating the digital from the natural more interesting. The unpredictable nature of this process is exciting to work with, as no two images are ever the same.
lynsey_ferguson@hotmail.co.uk
KM Yasmin Fong
(Ayr, Scotland)
Love Lab Works, 2013 mixed media Love is an emotion that is controlled by the release of chemicals into the brain and body. Through research and development, speciďŹ c chemicals that are present have been objectiďŹ ed into a range of merchandise and operated under an independent label and company: Love Lab Works. The objective was to educate and pass on knowledge of these chemicals in a manner which can easily interact with the general public. Thus, we take into consideration the use of social media and fashion as a marketing and advertising technique to help promote the Love Lab Works’ merchandise. Looking further into the effects of these particular chemicals and their relative molecular structure, developments into imagery and slogans have been created to represent each chemical. The seven chemicals that have been chosen are Dopamine, Oestrogen, Oxytocin, Norepinephrine, Serotonin, Testosterone, and Vasopressin.
y.fong@hotmail.co.uk kmyasminfong.wordpress.com
Lynne McBride
(Dundee, Scotland)
Portraits of Dundee, 2013 C-type photographs After reading psychologist Sam Goslings ‘Snoop’ recently, my work has focused on the idea that in order to grasp an accurate portrait of someone you must look at what they unconsciously leave behind. This notion has directed me into creating contemporary portraits from litter. I have become interested in what we can find out about an individual by looking at what they unconsciously leave behind and how litter can create a portrait of a city or community. Looking at litter in Dundee has led me to notice how much we not only unconsciously leave waste behind, but unconsciously pass it on a day to day basis. This has led me to experiment with ways in which to bring passers-by attention to the litter around Dundee. I began this project by documenting litter I found digitally by creating a Google map, creating a digital exhibition of Dundee’s waste. After initially experimenting with this I began looking into how to display the litter in a public space. I decided to display pieces of litter in display boxes like an outdoor museum along a specific route that could be used to create an exhibition for the public.
l.a.mcbride@dundee.ac.uk
http://bit.ly/OO1PiF
Ksenja Seiz
(Homburg, Germany)
Diminutive Beauty, 2013 inkjet prints, screenprint Invisibility, super strength, bullet proof clothing, scaling a wall like a spider, re-growing body parts and living to be 200. These are not a list of far-fetched superpowers but current ďŹ elds of research concerning a class of materials known as fullerenes. The intention of this art work is to generate awareness for the great contributions fullerenes and carbon nanotubes are making to modern technology and medicine as well as to show the connections between art and science itself. Fullerenes are possibly the only family of molecules that have been named after an artist, an architect and designer named Richard Buckminster Fuller, rather than after a scientist or scientiďŹ c characteristic. Therefore fullerenes act as a symbol for the relationship between art and science itself. The art work was initially inspired by electron microscope images showing the beautiful geometry and intriguing structures of these remarkable materials, something that few outside researchers have ever witnessed due to the minuscule size of these materials. This project provides the public with an insight into this realm by visualising this scientiďŹ c subject through art involving different media such as photography, screenprinting and sculptures. By making use of a variety of media in the creation of the art work these exhibits show how much freedom for creativity is inherent in art and science collaborations and demonstrate a wide range of different thoughts and ideas which have gone into the production of the displayed pieces. Produced with the assistance of Calum Fergus McAndrew, Imperial College & Queen Mary University London. Ksenia.seiz@gmail.com
Andrew Styan
Face value, 2013 archival inkjet print At face value the debate to sway the votes of the Scottish people at the 2014 independence referendum is centred on the ďŹ nancial issues. This work uses the scanning electron microscope, a tool of science, to look more closely at the symbols of that debate. The microscopic marks left by the many citizens of the United Kingdom who have handled them perhaps reveals a more human side to the discussion. Produced with the assistance of Martin Kierans, Dundee University.
andrewstyan.com
(Newcastle, Australia)
This much is known, 2013 digital visualisation (3m22s) The plant Arabidopsis thaliana is known to most as a weed (if known at all) but is actually one of the handful of model organisms used by scientists to explore the secrets of life. Thousands of research papers are published each year by hundreds of scientists worldwide as they uncover the intricate details of this ordinary plant. This visualisation is a representation of the expansion of human knowledge embodied in this research. Produced with the assistance of Dr. Gordon Simpson, Dundee University & The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland
Charlotte Wilkie Sullivan
(Edinburgh, Scotland)
museum installation, D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum, 15.11.2013 documentation video (5m20s) I am interested in exploring the relationship between art and natural science. I was inspired by the idea of changing the way the viewer interacts with a museum environment through the use of sound and video, which creates a lively experience full of movement. D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson was a pioneer of Zoological Science, who lived and worked in Dundee. His most famous writing, On Growth and Form, completed in 1917, continues to inspire scientists and artists alike to this day. Much of my work revolves around animal behaviour and in particular, creating links between humans and animals. I decided to create an installation within the zoology teaching museum that he established at the uiniversity, to be shown at a public event, which would focus on highlighting interesting, little-known things about the museum’s animal specimens. Undesired Anthropomorphism (video, 16m58s) is a work which challenges the viewer to face gruesome behaviour in the animal kingdom, behaviour that we as people class as unlawful. There are many animals one would not expect to have a dark side underneath their cute exteriors. 71 (video, 04m41s) explores the variety and behaviour of butterflies found in Britain. Specimens of every British butterfly can be found in the Museum’s collection, but many are rare and difficult to spot in the wild. Having an Entomologist father has aroused my interest in insects and I have spent many years around them. I wished to provoke surprise in the audience by showing how exotic-looking some of our endemic species are. All of the animals I researched as part of this project are part of the D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum collection. charlotte-sullivan@live.co.uk charlottewilkiesullivan.dunked.com
the students’ gallery of the University of Newcastle University House cnr King & Auckland Streets Newcastle 2300 phone 4921 8733 (gallery) 4921 5188 (office) http://www.newcastle.edu.au/group/watt-space Wattspace is funded by UoN Services Limited and supported by the School of Creative Arts