According to Stefan Lovgren’s article on National Geographic, “The old adage “seeing is believing” hardly applies to nanoscience, which operates on a scale of atoms and molecules. So how do you make something so minuscule and abstract appear real to the ordinary eye? Why not through art?”1 Nano art is a medium to help people understand abstract concepts like quantum physics; the Quantum Tunnel is a nano art that projects images of visitors’ faces on two opposing walls and they become fractured into particles and waves. This display brings attention to the science behind the art.
Nanotechnology also helps to preserve art. “Acrylic polymers were once used to try to preserve murals, but they slowly damaged the very paintings that they were trying preserve. Now they can be removed safely using nanotechnology.”2 This was discovered by Piero Baglioni and scientists at the University of Florence. They were able to preserve the Mesoamerican wall paintings in Mexico using this technique.
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| Fish by J Sha http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=1743.php |
“Nanotechnology could soon create an art gallery full of art that nobody can see not even the artists who created it.”3 An example would be Fish, the first of several works by Artist J Sha; it is the world’s smallest piece of flat artwork, at a mere 40 microns tall with features as small as 250 nanometers.
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| Zinc Oxide under Nanoscope! looking like a deep sea creature http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html |
Nanoart even helps advances in science! “A garden patch of plastic nano-orbs was created through self-assembly with magnets to mimic a cascade of watermelons.”4 They were able to turn the orbs and change their colours with magnets. This ability offers promise for possible future use in drug delivery and rewriteable papers.
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| The nanoart exhibition at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington http://www.macdiarmid.ac.nz/interface_article/art-of-nanotechnology/ |
Nanoart has steadily become more mainstream, with a recent exhibition at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington, displaying 29 best images from scientists around the country working in the field of nanotechnology. “The researchers liken what they see down powerful microscopes to things from the everyday world - silver ferns, cobwebs, pyramids and daisies.”5
Sources:
1.Lovgren, Stefan. "Can Art Make Nanotechnology Easier to Understand?" National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 23 Dec. 2003. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1223_031223_nanotechnology_2.html>.
2.Camara-Campos, Amaya. "Preserving Art at the Nanoscale." Preserving Art at the Nanoscale. Royal School of Chemistry, 7 July 2010. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2010/08/Preserving_art.asp>.
3."The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel: Sci, Space, Tech." 'The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel: Sci, Space, Tech' The Daily Galaxy, 9 Apr. 2007. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/04/nanoart_the_wor.html#more>.
4.Lilley, Maiken. "The Art of Nanotech." PBS. PBS, 18 Nov. 2010. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html>.
5."Art of Nanotechnology." MacDiarmid Institute. Macdiarmid Institute, 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.macdiarmid.ac.nz/interface_article/art-of-nanotechnology/>.
Great post Ruby! It's pretty phenomenal that its even possible to create nanoart, especially something that's only 40 microns! I think its great that nanoart is developing because it also helps us better understand nanotechnology, which can have awesome uses such as preserving art for longer, as you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI love your post! I like how you explored how nanotech is being used as an art medium. Like you said, nano art helps viewers understand abstract concepts. I think this is why the invention of microscopes helped nano particles become a medium of art. Although art can be as small as 40 microns, our modern technology has allowed us to explore this art and give us clearer pictures to what we have always wondered about.
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