Research Reports for the Ears

The relationship or synergy between art and science has typically been viewed through one of three general frames. The first, and probably most interesting to scientists, is the idea that art has an interpretive function—building on the sense that artists are, at times, more capable of expressing the beauty or the complexity of science’s findings, or that the artist can shape imagery or sound to express the essence of what science is discovering in ways people can better grasp (one example is sonification of scientific data). The second is found in artists who are simply inspired by science, using it as a jumping off point for artworks that are compelling on purely artistic merit, incorporating elements that involve nature or scientific imagery, while not centrally trying to share concrete scientific findings or data. And finally, quite often, exercises in “art and science” engage the relationship in less direct practical or philosophical ways, in which the art is presented via technology’s tools, or science provides a jumping off place for the artist’s vision.