A part of Duke Inspire, “The Art of a Scientist” was started in 2018 by three Duke University graduate students, Ariana Eily, Casey Lindberg, and Hannah Devens, who are passionate about making science accessible to the general public.
We often hear about the stark differences between art and science - that some people are analytical while others are free-thinkers, with little room to mix.
In reality, artists and scientists actually have a lot in common. Scientists often spend hours taking, creating, and editing beautiful images, figures, and videos, in the same way an artist labors over a new idea or piece. Academic journals regularly feature visual tools to describe research; however, in most cases, these are inaccessible to those outside of a university system.
“The Art of a Scientist” brings together the creativity of these two seemingly unrelated fields in order to explain complex scientific ideas and principles and share them with a general audience. Scientists’ original research products (such as charts, graphs, and microscopy images) are presented alongside artist interpretations of these findings, allowing the viewer to appreciate the parallels and connections between science and art.
Additionally, some scientists will showcase their artistic talents by creating and presenting an artistic piece relating to their own research in whichever medium they choose. The pieces will be displayed beside one another with text written by the contributors explaining the technical and inspired aspects of their works in plain English.