Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Welcome to the USC's John C. Hench Department of Animation and Digital Art Visualizing Science and Art Blog

Following in the footsteps of Leonardo Da Vinci, The Visualizing Art and Science Research Team from USC's John C. Hench Department of Animation and Digital Arts invites you to use your imagination and post your thoughts regarding the growing field of scientific visualization, especially in regards to the historical and pedagogical approaches to science and art/animation creation.

As we focus on the beauty of science and the wonders of the universe, this ongoing discussion will draw comparisons between the world of fine art and the cognitive space where scientific curiosity is born. As we walk through this hybrid gallery of art and science, let us be inspired by the Hubble images of the Veil Nebula, the Bio-Artography of microscopic imagery, and the recursive rhythms of algorithmic botany. Are these works any less beautiful than the works of William De Kooning, Georgia O' Keefe, or Piet Mondrain? It is remarkable to think, that the abstract expressionists, and other visual artists, could capture the beauty Hubble's universe, long before the advent digital technology. But now that digital technology is in our hands, we can explore new visual realms while using animation to envision science and quantitative information. As practitioners of the science of animation, we are all disciples of Da Vinci, who tells us to "Study the science of art and the art of science."

Therefore, let's begin the debate and the explore the relationship of art in the world science. There are many questions to address in this discussion. Here are areas to explore: With the democratization of digital tools, is there a greater influx of misinformation in regards to envisioning scientific date? Is there a cultural impact resulting from new digital visualization tools on the world of fine art? Is there a metaphysical connection between the an artist's vision and newly discovered micro and macro regions of the universe? And, how do we use 3D software, such as Maya, SoftImage, and Houdini to visualize worlds and processes which cannot be viewed with today's technology? These are just a few questions that are relative to the discourse in this blog. These questions will also be asked in a live discussion on September 19, where DADA will host Dr. Judith Lemus and Science illustrator Pieter Folkens in an open seminar at the University of Southern California. In the meantime look forward to your input and creative comments.

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