Merging Disciplines - Art, Visualization and Environmental Science

Published: October, 2011

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Abstract

A rapidly growing number of visual artists are creating work about contemporary environmental issues in order to address the gap in the level of understanding that exists between the scienctific community and the general public. Much of this work combines scientific visualizations of environmental data with visual art. The goal is to create greater access and understanding of environmental changes that are impacting our lives. Artists are translating the science data and visualizations into a more easily accessible language and placing it in public venues. Some artists create their own visualizations from established data bases. Others use existing visualizations within their work. Public Art projects are reaching beyond traditional media to allow the viewers to experience the changing data in real time. In general artists are melding scientific data, visualization and intuitive artistic dialogue to create a more comprehensive understanding of the issues. Some scientists, realizing the difficulty of conveying the complexities of their work to the general public, are beginning to turn to artists for assistance.