Biomimicry - Design at the forefront of solutions

a great interview about biomimcry



I think I have the sound embedded - but if not here's the link
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/03/26/midmorning2/


Mid-morning on MPR described him as:
"A radical architect has ideas on promoting environmentalism in cities with stackable cars and homes built into trees. He also says "sustainable" is not a good enough word to describe his goals for buildings.
Guests


* Mitchell Joachim: is an architect and Co-Founder at Terreform ONE (is a non-profit design group that promotes green design in cities) and Terrefuge (Ecological Design Group for Urban Infrastructure, Building, Planning, and Art). Currently he is on faculty at Syracuse and the University of Toronto.


Resources


* About Joachim
* Green design contest for cities   "  


*all of this was taken from Minnesota Public Radio's website and is not my own.

"

Compost - nature and Art

http://emilyckhoisington.com/

April 5th - 14th, On line Symposium about Art and Evolution: via the National Academy of Sciences

All Images and Information taken from the site:  

http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Experience_Future_Events_Vcande

which you must VISIT for more information about this symposium!

there's a BLOG!

And a POD CAST you can sign up for! 

If you can't be part of the party - you can watch it from a distance like me...  longingly...  lustfully...  uggg..  I can't believe I just found out about this. 

You will know you'll be on the right page when you see this image... and now that I've seen Tracy's work, I'll write about her later too.... 

The Key Note Speakers are Eduardo Kac - Who's works I've referenced before and gave a talk about his "Eduina" piece at the Wiseman Art Museum.  (*links and follow up information will be posted)
I will write more and add more images about him in a bit.

& a personal hero of mine:

E.O. Wilson who is not only one of the most adorable scientists of all time, but was known for his revolutionary studies with insect colonies and evolutions.  He's amazing, and I must find the video with him and the fire ants for you to really understand both this guy's genius and genuine excitement and love of science!

Expect more information, links and pictures coming up.
I promised my dog 30 minutes ago that were were going for a walk,  - but checking my e-mail, i discovered this - and stop the presses! 

Image taken by Aaron Fenster.    http://aaronfenster.com/

......................She's giving me this look right now.... it's not a happy one.

What a great day!  


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I took this image and information directly from the National Academy of Science's website and none of what is written or pictured is of my own origin.  This is just to pass on the news for students, teachers and art-scientists -enthusiasts alike and not for any personal gain other than to make sure people check it out because it's Soooooooooooooooo cool!:
http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Experience_Future_Events_Vcande

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     Tracy Hicks
                     Moose (Detail of a site specific installation from Reflections on Darwin  
                     a group exhibition curated by Ben Montague and exhibited at Wright State
                     University, November 1, 2009 January 10, 2010)
                     Mixed media and collected object (#31309.005 thru .021 - Alces alces
                     shiraz,  3/4 year old cow moose bones collected: Montana: 21 July 09,
                     with glass scientific vessels)
                     2009
                     Visit Tracy Hicks' Web site











"

Visual Culture and Evolution Online Symposium

Monday, April 5 through Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Click here to follow the Visual Culture and Evolution Online Symposium" 

Join a group of more than 30 international experts - including artists, scientists, historians, ethicists, curators, sociologists, and writers - as they discuss the intersections between the visual arts and evolution. This past year, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book, On the Origin of Species, a number of conferences were held around the world focusing on the impact of the concept of evolution.  This symposium will be a platform to discuss both the ideas generated from those activities and the present impact of evolutionary thought on visual culture.

 Visit http://vcande.blogspot.com/ to follow the discussion.

Kevin Finneran, editor in chief of Issues in Science and Technology, will moderate the discussion. Issues is the quarterly policy journal published by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and University of Texas at Dallas.

Visual Culture and Evolution: An Online Symposium is co-sponsored by Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences (CPNAS); the Center for Design, Art, and Visual Culture (University of Maryland, Baltimore County); and Johns Hopkins University's Master of Arts in Museum Studies Program.

Click here for a list of panelists

Click here for the Keynote Interviews with Eduardo Kac and E.O. Wilson

Click here for other upcoming events

The content and opinions from the symposium speeches, presentations, blogs, wikis, and/or feeds reflect those of the authors and presenters, and are not those of the organizing institutions that include: the National Academy of Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Johns Hopkins University; or any of their affiliates or schools. The organizing institutions neither endorse nor oppose the content and opinions from the symposium speeches and presentations, or the opinions of the authors and presenters."

'Creation' - the Movie about Darwin's love affair with his wife, and the mechanisms of life

http://creationthemovie.com/
This film I have been bouncing up and down waiting for it to come to the states...  but apparently American audiences find concepts like "truth and Facts" - too controversial.  

Darwin's discovery  - no matter how important and as important as the creation of the number 0 or the calculation for gravity and how quickly it pulls things to Earth, this is all mild whimsy of interest in comparison to his blazing love for his wife.  What he would have been willing to give up for her....  I doubt many couples could say the same.  

You can learn more and here an interview with the film director and the book's author on Science Friday. 
Jon Amiel   Director, Creation
Randal Keynes  Author, Creation: Darwin, His Daughter & Human Evolution  (Riverhead Trade, 2009) 

To a great discovery, science and love.

Thank you Charles Darwin

Jim Henson - thank you for the inspiration for everything

Physics and Art in Action!

Magnetic Art: Sachiko Kaodama & Minako Takeno "Protrude and Flow" 2002








Anti-Gravity TedTalk Tom Shannon: Gravity-defying sculpture inspired by the sun, the earth, the moon Part 1

Biomimicry Design - Bone as "light" seating, and other examples

 image taken from:   http://www.dirtymouse.co.uk/product-design/ninna-helena-olsen/

When I saw this structure it was immediately recognisable to me as an object with a biological influence or inspiration.  This piece, called Osso Buco, means in Italian "Bone with a hole in it".  

Bone tissue is netted like this - giving it great strength, the ability to spread out the force of impact equally  - making our bones both shock resistant (mostly), flexible,, and light weight.   

                                             image taken from:  http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2006_0413.htm

 

 Ninna Helena Olsen is a Danish based designer and architect - who's work ranges from sculptural to functional with varying degrees in between.     You can check out her work at:  http://www.ninnahelena.dk/ninnahelena.html 

 

Now her work isn't typically about biomimicry  - but other scientists are working to change the design world by looking to nature to find examples and source material for these concepts.  In these 2 videos, Janine Benyus shares her ideas and the key concepts to this process:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action.html

• Janine Benyus shares nature's designs

http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designs.html

a little self promotion

On Wed, March 10th at 2:00 - I'm doing a lecture about Art, Science, and my work. 

I'd love to see your artistic - scientific faces there.

Lab Scientist turned Lab-Artists

 

"Child's Science Lab Trace" by David Goldes

Image taken from David Goldes' web site: http://www.davidgoldes.com/photos/traces/index.htm

It is a personal pleasure to write about a fellow college, and wonderful person David Goldes. 
Currently instructing at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (where he is full time and I'm a lonely little adjunct in a sea of big names and great artists) - it is such an honer when people take the time to get to know each other.  As teachers, we are working as hard as the students trying to stay on top of the work they do for us, and then make our own work.
What I find particularly amazing about David Goldes work is how he is not just a photographer, but I also consider him a sculptor as well.  Looking at examples of scientific elements visualized through his work.

The changing of seasons in Fire Pond:  

Chain reactions
       "Chain reaction standi#3277C"                  "Waves, Particles etc"

Image taken from his website:  http://www.davidgoldes.com/photos/wbelf/index.htm

 and definitely check out his Chain Reaction Videos at:  http://www.davidgoldes.com/video.htm




Mesh castings of laboratory equipment in his photo series "Traces":  (as seen above in Child Lab Traces)

There are so many Great works of his- I highly recommend going to his Gallery Page -

where there are easily many many other pieces I could write about - but need to get to my own studio work at the moment.  A show that needs to go up in less than a week!
Lots to do!


To science, to art, to life
Viva La Vida!
-Abbi








Bubble In Inverted Jar
Gelatin Silver Print
2003
By David Goldes
Image taken from the web site:  http://www.yossimilo.com/artists/davi_gold/?show=1&img_num=2#title

Fantastic scientists!

This is where great scientist come from - they are inspired by those who love it as much as they do.
Thank you gentlemen!
we miss you Fred.

Thank you Phil for sending this to me!

From Science Friday - the Bots take on the Bard...

I just couldn't resist!
thank you Science Friday for posting this one!..

The Art of Malene Mathiasson & his Amazing interactive Album art - as a must see!

The Art of Malene Mathiassion is not only biologically related but she is also the creator of the best Album Art I have ever seen. 
Her Bodies of work range from organic heart stopping reflections on topics such as:
Creatures
Enthropy
Snow
Animals
Bodies
Species
and more......



The real thing is breath taking, but surprisingly, so is the virtual one.  This is a MUST SEE.
Look at her Art here:  http://friendlyfirerecordings.com/Bands/OhNoOno/eggsartwork/
 
This band -Oh-No Eggs, - the album art does  (and the music is pretty cool to boot!)

Check out the art of Malene Mathiasson

M.C. Escher - Art and Mathimatics. By Adam Fuchs

Every so often  - I find a writing that sums up what I'd like to say better than I can say it - and in that case - it's far better to simply post it in their own words. 

          In my Orientation to Art and Design course at the College of Visual Arts, I had a student do just that.  Adam Fuchs wrote such a clear delivery of what it is to walk the line between the sciences and the Arts - that I thought it was definitely worth posting.  So here is his article below, along with images - Including that of this own amazing book project that he did - a 3-D Puzzle that is a book as well.  Amazing.

M.C. Escher - Artists Book and Text by Adam Fuchs.

I recently made an artist book on Dutch artist Maurits C. Escher (1898-1972).  One of the world’s most famous graphic artists, he is considered the father of modern tessellations— the regular division of planes.  At age 68, he said, “filling the plane has become a real mania to which I have become addicted and from which I sometimes find it hard to tear myself away” (Taschen 17).  His genius lay in the ability to explore math in his art and his passion for balancing opposing concepts such as order and disorder, high and low, close and far.

My idea was to construct a wooden cube out of dovetailed pine panels or “pages” with Escher’s Metamorphosis III on the outside of the pages in raised relief inked in black.  The inside of the pages would have biographical information on Escher and some thoughts about his work.  There would be a smaller cube nesting inside the outer cube that would be constructed in the same fashion, enabling my to get twelve pages out of the book. 

The reason I chose Escher for the book is mainly due to my love of math and logic puzzles.  Escher’s art is very mathematically based.  His strong use of geometry and the mathematics of crystalline structure is balanced and enhanced by his exploration of imaginary worlds and infinite spaces.  From his impossible cubes and distorted perspectives to his clean and ordered regular division of the plane, Escher dazzles the mind and appeals both to order and chaos.  His duality is perhaps his greatest strength.  As I researched him in preparation for the book, I learned many things about his life and his craft. 

During construction of the book, I gained a deeper appreciation to the painstaking detail created in wood by this Dutch master.  After several fruitless tries, I gave up on cutting the images of Metamorphosis in relief on the cube.  I settled for drawing and inking right on the pine cube.  Over 20 hours later, the cube looked nice, my hand was cramped and hurting, and I was totally satisfied.  My cube is much smaller than one of Escher’s actual woodcuts, and my hand is nowhere near as talented, but by doing the book in as close to his style as a time, and a students limited budget allowed is learned so much more than just reading a biography or studying one of his prints ever could have taught me.  I also feel a lot closer to one of the great men of the 20^th century. 

Escher was born in Leeuwarden, Holland.  His father, George Escher, was a civil engineer.  Escher received his first instruction in drawing at secondary school from a teacher who noticed his liking for ink drawings and taught him how to make lino cuts.  He went on to study architecture at Higher Technology School in Delft, but was soon forced to quit due to poor health.  He did many drawings during this period and began to use wood cuts as a medium. He enrolled in architecture at an art school in Haarlem and was soon encouraged by a friend and teacher to switch to drawing and printmaking.  His skills at wood cutting improved rapidly. (Taschen 17-18)

Escher’s wood cut prints are made using primarily side-grained wood, such as pear, because it works better than the more expensive end-grained woods for large prints.  His first seven years in Italy were spent using solely side-grained wood  (Brigham 9).  When more than one block was needed for the print, notches were made on each block to indicate the points where pins were placed to hold the blocks together.  By making notches on second block correspond to the notches on the first block and continuing this on subsequent blocks, each block could be fit into place accurately on a multiple block print (Ernst ).

During travels to the French Riviera, Italy, and Spain, Escher begins to experiment with mirror images, crystalline shapes, and spheres.  He spends much of his time drawing landscapes, plants, and insects.  After a visit to the Alhambra, he gains a fascination with the regular division of the plane and produces “Eight Heads in 1922”— his first wood cut of this kind (Taschen 18).  He settles in Italy and meets his future wife, Jetta Umiker.

Growing political turmoil forces a move to Switzerland in 1935.  This provokes a move from his Italy inspired dizzying landscapes to graphic works and mental imagery (Taschen 18).  This is the idea behind metamorphosis.  Escher experiments with tessellations throughout the 30’s and makes his renowned “Metamorphosis” in 1937.  Escher moved back to Brussels and showed his tessellations to his brother Beer who is a professor in geology.  Beer draws his attention to the similarity his work has with crystallography astounding Escher, who then begins his crystallographic experiments (Taschen 19).  One of his most famous prints, “Day and Night” is a product of this time, followed shortly be Metamorphosis II— his largest print. 

Metamorphosis II is a wood cut printed from twenty-nine blocks.   Escher used musical 4:4 time in the first solely white and black section as a planning aid.  The rhythm changes from squares to animal shapes and a third shade is added to the white and black, creating 3:4 time (Brigham 16).  The figures become more simplified, morphing to hexagons that combine to makes honeycomb cells, which leads to the bee larva and bees flying off into space.  Their black silhouettes fly on to form a black background for white fishes.  The transition and morphing goes on through birds and towns and chess pieces to come full circle to where it started with the word “Metamorphosis”.  Transition from flat images to spatial images was key for Escher in his prints at this time.  

 

By the 1950’s, M. C. Escher had gained such fame that people were commissioning him for far more unusual services such as tapestry design, and a ceiling decoration for Philips of Holland.  He was published in Time and Life magazines 1951, and began to lecture.  Audiences of artists, mathematicians, and scientists were enchanted with his visions.  He began to experiment with techniques for expressing infinity within the limits of print, as shown in such works as “Whirlpools” in 1957. (Taschen 20)

Escher had a brief love affair with the dark grey and black shades of mezzotints— a copper plate intaglio method.  He found that he did not have the patience for the time consuming process and has produced less than ten mezzotints.  This was the only type of intaglio practiced by Escher, who preferred to delineate his figures using tonal contrast rather than outline, as is characteristic of intaglio prints.  (Brigham 9)

Escher printed his wood cuts not a press, but using an old Japanese method using a bone spoon.  The ink is spread over the wood using a roller, and sheet of paper was then laid on it.  Each point of contact between the wood and paper was then rubbed with the bone spoon.  This allows the woods to remain serviceable for a much longer period than with a press, which needs much greater force to make a print, thus allowing for more prints. (Ernst )

Escher was incapable of drawing when forced to rely solely on his imagination.  In his later prints, when building and landscapes are needed, he copied these with great accuracy from real settings.  His human and animal figures were drawn from nature, while clay and paper models served for more abstract models (Ernst )  He envied sculptors, who worked with more concrete materials, but loved drawing due to its broader application and range of possibilities. One of the things that most appeals to me in his work is the painstaking attention to detail and exquisite craft that goes into each piece.  No matter how difficult or tedious, the process does not inhibit his producing startling images describing his inner vision.

M.C. Escher is the first artist whose work I could recognize by name.  It was revolutionary in his day and entices the eye even today.  From regular plane filling tessellations to imaginary worlds, spatial illusions to impossible knots and buildings, Escher’s work is a feast for the aesthetic and the scientist in all of us.  To see the work is to love it, but to realize that each detail is painstakingly carved out of wood in multiple levels on different blocks to achieve the varying shades is to be awed by the attention and love given by a master to his craft. 

WORKS CITED

Brigham, John E.  Graphic Work of M.C. Escher.  J.J. Tijil N.V.  Zwolte, Holland. 1960.  Old

         Book Company.  London.  1961.  Print. 76 pgs.

Ernst, Bruno.  The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher.  Barnes and Noble Books.  Singapore.  1994

         Print.   115 pgs.

Metamorphosis III.  Global Gallery.  Global Arts Group Ltd.  !994-2009.

         < http://www.globalgallery.com/prod_images/600/esc-e33.jpg>  Web Image.

Sky and Water.  Global Gallery. Global Arts Group Ltd. 1994-2009.

         < http://www.globalgallery.com/search.php?af=m.c.+escher>

Relativity.  Global Gallery. Global Arts Group Ltd. 1994-2009.

         < http://www.globalgallery.com/search.php?af=m.c.+escher>

Taschen.  M.C. Escher.  Ed. Wedermann, Julius.  Cologne, Germany.  2006.  Print.  191 pgs.

The affects of Climate change

Spontaneous Hibernation of cold blooded animals when the climate temperatures fall below the typical biome's range:    Watch the video:    http://www.justnews.com/video/22153242/index.html

MINDWALK - The movie for all aritsts and scientist, writers and politicians...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9107401959308808776&ei=NJcYS6YflfqrApPxibkK&q=mindwalk+capra&hl=en#

Because I cannot afford a copy of this myself, a students was nice enough to tell me this link to watch the whole movie on line.  An amazing discussion between a Physicist, Politician and a Poet.
A must see for systems thinking

http://www.fritjofcapra.net/mindwalk.html

 http://www.fritjofcapra.net/index.html

Opening reception for Hybrids - tomorrow! 6-8pm

Come on down to the Science Museum of MN and see how the Fine Arts students of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design have responded to the SMM collections from behind the scenes.

The Artists will be present with their work on FRIDAY - Dec. 4th, 2009 (6-8pm)  - food, and free admission to the art show  because it's in the public areas.  (5th and 6th floors by the elevators)

This blend of art and science will be up until Dec. 11th, 2009 

Scientific Illustration Examples for my students (at the science museum today)

For my students in my Scientific Illustration Class:

The Right brain vs. the Left


Jill Bolte - what is it to live on the right side of your brain for a year?




Work of others:

Ernst Haeckel

Science with an Artistic Flair at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History

Image taken from:http://neurologicalcorrelates.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/haekel-28.jpg

Proteus Video: only 7 minutes of my favorite film




 Images taken from:  http://www.merstudios.com/illustrations_s.htm

scientific illustrators at work:  http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/students/2004/gallery04.html

Here's some of my own work:
"reflections on Death" - Pen on paper. 2009


"Mr. Crumple's Last Day". Pen on paper. 2009


"Transport of Mr. Crumple" ink on velum. 2009

"Conversations in Passing" pen on paper. 2009
(and in sculpting)



Work of others your own age:

Saturday, June 27, 2009

 I taught scientific illustration and the working world definitely got my labor's worth - but I think it was worth it. Look at these great illustrations done by 9 year olds from observation!

YES! I taught them to draw, see with their eyes, and to trust and love the right brain. the kids are totally obsessed with right and left brain now.

 




















Great X-Ray Art from the Natural Academy of Sciences
http://www.ansp.org/museum/art-in-science.php

Beyond the field trip crowd
Posted by Lauren Urban   [Entry posted at 2nd April 2010 03:41 PM GMT]  Beyond the field trip crowd - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences


BEYOND ThE FEILDTRIP





interview with a scientific illustrator