Shifting Spectra: Comparative Approaches to Image Making in Science and Art University of the Arts London. Central Saint Martins.

Resumo

Shifting spectra sits upon an evolving history of image making in relation to science as
it has evolved from conventional graphic means, through early photography into a complex
digital domain. The paper goes on to explore a territory in which the artist and the scientist
generate comparative images of complex micro-organisms. Their results converge and diverge
as defined by the parameters and potential of the technology, the intended audience, and their
personal aesthetic. The past twenty years have seen extensive advances in micro imaging that
enable the scientist to move beyond the limitations of earlier protocols and this is a territory into
which artists have increasingly been drawn. This article reflects on the history of photography
and science and draws upon recent collaborations between the author and botanical scientists
working in the United Kingdom, Germany and Portugal in which microscopy fulfils the dual role of
scientific analysis and artistic interpretation of plant science