Art and science are not two separate, unconnected fields. Of course, at first glance, one might assume that one involves the right portion of the brain while the other requires the left part, leaving no room for interplay between the two. This is far from the truth.
Art and science need not be two distinct fields, each relying on the opposite side of the brain. Rather, art and science can come together with what is known as science illustration.
This semester I have been given the opportunity to take a course called Audubon’s Scientific Illustration, where I will learn how to apply my art skills to understanding and observing the natural world. Not only will this improve my scientific, observational skills but also my technical drawing skills (as seen in Blog Post #1).
As Benko (2020) writes, “The ability to pay careful attention to patterns, shapes and spatial relationships helps scientists properly observe and discover…It also helps them create clear visuals of the collected data.” In other words, the incorporation of art into science allows scientists to improve their observational and explanation skills, making their messages more powerful, meaningful, and easier to comprehend for others.
A great example of the blending of art and science is at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History where educational art and science collide. An intern at the museum, Alia Payne, drew a cartoon of an octopus in a jar for the museum’s Instagram account in order to educate followers about the cephalopod’s hydrostatic skeleton (Benko). It is clear that artistic creativity and science can intertwine together, providing opportunities for both the museum’s scientist and visitors to see ocean invertebrates in a unique and beautiful way (Benko).
This leads me to my next point; artists working with scientists in museums is surely not the only way art bleeds into science. Rather, ecologists, naturalists, biologists, and scientists record their observations in the field through what is known as a field journal. These observations often include illustrations that depict the specimen or organism in question.
It is important for field notebooks to be as detailed as possible. As Canfield (1) asserts, “Meticulous record keeping is at the heart of good science,” and this is especially true for those working in the field. For instance, while on the HMS Beagle in the Galápagos, Charles Darwin kept “copious and detailed notes” which enabled him to produce such “complete and fulfilling narrative of his work” (Canfield 2). Sketches and drawings of observations can play a crucial role in the details comprising a field notebook. In fact, Carl Linnaeus, the “father of taxonomy,” kept a meticulous journal in his field excursions to parts of Sweden which included “copious notes and sketches” (Canfield 6). These notes and sketches demonstrate his “attention to detail” while in the field (Canfield 6).
Other important aspects that encompass a field journal include weather conditions, geographic locations, and observations of organisms (such as behavioral observations) (Canfield 13). The act of taking field notes not only benefits scientific knowledge, but also the scientist as well. For example, Darwin’s field notes describe what he collected and where, but also the information he would later utilize to write Voyage (Canfield 14). Field notes and location data are useful for not only the scientist who produced them, but also for future generations of scientists who might study the same organisms (Canfield 14).
As Greene (258) illustrates, a “well-organized field notebook” is an incredibly useful tool to document data and observations in the field. In addition, field notebooks serve as a “fertile incubator” for ideas and observations as well as a “powerful catalyst for new experiments and projects” (Greene 258). He also suggests that when jotting down observations for a study that has just commenced, you should write down more information than you believe is necessary, since you are unfamiliar with what may be “interesting” or “important” (Greene 260).
Moreover, Greene (264-270) lists some very useful suggestions I can apply towards my sketching and observations in the field for my Audubon Scientific Illustration course. He suggests leaving contact information in the front of my field notebook, writing very clearly, entering the date, time, and location on each page, and recording geographic
information about the location being studied and the weather. Like Canfield, he also recommends creating maps so that I or another person can return to the same site. In addition, he highlights that one should view their field notebook as a sort of “scrapbook” for information relevant to the project.
From the research I have done, I can clearly state that a field notebook is an incredibly rewarding and constructive tool for scientific research. Art can forge its way into these notebooks, providing an excellent source of detail and information that highlights the visual qualities of the specimen being observed. Alongside the written data collected, scientific illustration serves as a wonderful bridge between the world of art and the world of science.
(822 words)
Works Cited
Benko, Raven C. "Why Science Needs Art." Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2020, www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-of-natural-history/2020/04/15/why-science-needs-art/.
Canfield, Michael R. Field Notes on Science & Nature. PDF file, Harvard UP, 2011.
Greene, Erick. "12. Why Keep a Field Notebook?" Field Notes on Science & Nature. PDF file, Harvard UP, 2011.
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