Hi Peg:
> For me, the science in my "art" has to do not only with song writing,
> but also with final mixes of songs and the tonal pallets used. I have
> done some producing (two folk CDs), and in the final mixing sessions paid
> close attention to surges in volume, how many instruments were covering
> the same frequencies and muddying each other's signals, and where
> instruments and voices were placed in the stereo separation.
>
> The engineer I usually work with understands some of the physics of
> frequency interactions, but he always looked at me funny for
> spending so much time tweaking the stereo imaging, considering that it was
> folk music. His disparaging comment was repeatedly, "Well I guess it's
> doing something to our brains." That was exactly the point of my efforts.
>
> Other, more credentialed academics can discuss the connections between
> science and art, as recently happened at Harvard. And, yes, scientists
> can still reduce everything to physics, including the physical chemistry
> of the paint an artist uses, and how those characteristics affect the
> final product. Dali wrote that he would have given his left arm to know
> what was in Vermeer's paints, for he felt he could never reproduce
> the luminance.
I found your message fascinating. Are you talking about the recent Duchamp
/ Poincare conference? Were you there? I read some interesting pieces on
it, but nothing was very specific. It sounded like quite a diverse group.
If you were there, would you mind saying a few words about what was
discussed and how effectively the artistic and scientific ideas were
integrated.
I would also like to comment on what you said about the physical chemistry
of paint, etc. Don't you think that scientists, too, bring qualities into
their work that cannot be reduced to variables like the physical chemistry
of the paint? Each time I see a statement like the one above I am inclined
to agree with it, and also am reminded of Morris Kline's (he's a
mathematician) wonderful opening to his book _Mathematics in Western
Culture_, where he says:
To describe mathematics as only a method
of inquiry is to describe da Vinci's 'Last Supper"
as an organization of paint on canvas. Mathematics
is, also, a field for creative endeavor. In divining
what can be proved, as well as in constructing
methods of proof, mathematicians employ a
high order of intuition and imagination. (p. 4)
It seems the areas where there is convergence are especially important when
we discuss art, the brain, and consciousness -- and these areas seem to
frequently be excluded from discussions. As someone pointed out earlier,
and this point is underlined by your conversation with the mixing engineer,
the brain is involved in both how we create and experience what is created,
whether or not we have words to pin on the details. Moreover, it has been
involved historically, so historical conclusions seem to be important to
keep in the mix, at least in my opinion.
I have always been fascinated by the story of how the organic chemist,
Michel-Eugene Chevreul, discovered color relationships. Briefly, in the
19th century he was led to the problem when painters and artisans working on
some tapestries complained that the blacks being supplied to them by the
Gobelins factories were not deep and rich enough in effect. Chevreul
analyzed the good blacks and those considered inferior only to discover that
there was no chemical difference between them. He was thus led to examine
the visual context of the color. Through observing how colors were being
placed in the pieces he was able to recognize that neighboring colors
influence one another. By the way, painters of his time flocked to his
classes on color, finding the information useful in their work. Of course,
Chevreul's work, like that of scientists like Helmholtz, Brewster and
Wheatstone had a tremendous impact on how 19th century ideas about seeing,
vision, and color came together. This work also had a tremendous influence
on how photographers and painters approached image-making.
Of course, painters have always brought 'laws of color' and vision to their
work intuitively. Moreover, they applied the laws 'as needed' and thus with
less rigor. I'm not saying this is a plus or a minus. Rather I am pointing
out that circumstances change. I could relate the comment to your words
regarding Dali's respect for Vermeer. In this case, one could say that
Vermeer had an exceptional quality, and one could also say he didn't have
access to tubed paint and manufactured brushes -- thus it was his mixing
process that made the difference. Probably both responses are way too
simplistic.
I'll leave it here since I'm not trying to make a particular point here,
just trying to bring some history and examples of areas where art, science,
and the brain have converged historically -- despite the fact that we had
less of an understanding of how the brain works. Actually, perhaps I am
making a point because we often forget the degree to which these historical
convergences, often unstated today, inform our thinking theoretically.
I fear painting is my perspective, so I hope others might bring in examples
from other arts.
Amy
PS: By the way, the Morris Kline book mentioned above attempts to bring
painting, music, literature, science, and mathematics together in a very
readable fashion. I highly recommend it, and all of Kline's books. While
he is a mathematician, he writes for people who are not. I will admit he is
a bit Eurocentric in its history. Stll, all of Kline's books are well worth
the time. His books are listed, with reviews, at Amazon.com.
___________________________________________
Amy Ione
PO Box 12748
Berkeley, CA 94748-3748 USA
Phone: 1 (510) 548-2052
Fax: 1 (510) 548-2054
email: ione@lmi.net
URL: http://users.lmi.net/ione
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