What is Science Art?

  


In the Preface to this book, we define "Science Art" as "art that says
something about the natural world and how it works." Using images
of birds as a binding motif, we show that this kind of art spans the
entire 30,000-year pictorial archive. (Link to the Preface)
 
bookcover
 

Why is this resource important to
environmental educators and
people interested in nature?

  
Viewing images as "Science Art" can often provide insight into human attitudes toward animals and their environment, and sometimes into the results of research. Using a science "lens" when looking at the art (sometimes an explanatory caption helps) viewers may decode a truth about nature they might otherwise have overlooked. Such images are of great potential value in many branches of environmental sciences--from conveying basic biology and natural history to tracking the effects of global climate change. Consider, for example, the painting of ducks on the book's cover. (Link to a Science Art Caption for the Cover Image)
       
 
And why do environmental
educators, researchers, and
exhibitors underutilize it?
   Images portraying animals and their environment--both historic and modern--are abundant but can be difficult to find and expensive to reproduce in publications. We propose three steps to improve these two constraints: Encourage the Library of Congress to recognize Science Art as a Subject Heading; Encourage the use of "Science Art" as a genre in it's own right; and Encourage the use "Science Art" as a label when posting--or seeking--images online (Link to "Checklist for Artists and Exhibitors")
 

© 2008 Darryl Wheye and Donald Kennedy

   This work is protected by copyright laws. Any infringing use may be subject to disciplinary action and/or civil or criminal liability as provided by law.