art and science

Andrew Carnie: Immersing Audiences in Science

Andrew Carnie is a notable contemporary visual artist with a global exhibition footprint, based in the UK.

An emeritus fellow at the Winchester School of Art, Southampton University, Carnie’s work focuses greatly on the intersection of art and science. In fact, he has a blog focused on just that.

While he frequently collaborates with scientists, his creative approach remains broad and unconstrained by specific media, adapting his methodologies to the context and themes of each project.

Patrick Dougherty: Rooted in Nature

Patrick Dougherty’s art career is rooted in his fascination with nature and primitive building techniques.

Born in Oklahoma in 1945 and raised in North Carolina, Dougherty first pursued traditional academics, earning degrees in English and Health Administration. However, his return to North Carolina to study art history and sculpture sparked a desire to create works of art utilizing natural materials, particularly tree saplings. Combining this desire with his carpentry skills, Dougherty began crafting unique, large-scale sculptures that organically blend into their environments.

Riley Sims: Colors of Resilience

Riley Sims, a graduate of Ball State University and currently pursuing her graduate studies at Kent State University, combines geometric precision with spontaneous bursts of vibrant color to create a dynamic representation of life’s complexities, healing and resilience.

A key focus of Sims’ art is her intimate exploration of Lyme disease, a condition she has personally battled. However, Sims’ work goes beyond self-expression – her canvases are powerful advocacy tools. Her paintings education viewers about Lyme disease, bringing awareness to the financial and emotional challenges faced by those with the disease.

Susan Aldworth: Cultivating Art from the Brain

Susan Aldworth, born in 1955, is an artist known for her exploration of consciousness, identity, and the human mind. With a background in philosophy, Aldworth’s exemplifies the blend of art and science and establisher her as a significant figure in the UK’s Art & Science movement since the late 1990s.

Her creative practice utilizes various mediums, including printmaking, drawing, installation, and time-based media, bringing into light the lived experiences of individuals, particularly those related to medical and psychological conditions.

Aldworth’s work is featured in prestigious collections such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the British Library, and she has exhibited extensively both in the UK and internationally.

Thomas Dambo: The Master of Upcycled Urban Sculptures

Thomas Dambo, born in Odense, Denmark in 1979, grew up in a creative and communal environment. From a young age, Dambo was encouraged to explore his creativity, building his first wooden box for his brother’s pacifier and scavenging materials to construct massive fortresses with his friends.

As a teenager, Dambo delved into street art, urban exploration, and graffiti. His passion for urban culture and hip-hop led him to become a beatboxer, touring with Norwegian rapper Skranglebein. In 2004, he formed the hip-hop super crew Fler Farver with his younger brother and friends, releasing nine albums and gaining significant recognition in the Danish underground hip-hop scene.

Rogan Brown: The Science of Paper

Rogan Brown is an Anglo-Irish artist notable for his intricate paper sculptures that beautifully intertwine art and science. Drawing inspiration from the microscopic to the monumental—microbiology, botanical forms, geological structures, and marine ecosystems—Brown meticulously handcrafts and laser-cuts complex three-dimensional artworks. His pieces surpass mere representation, merging scientific accuracy with surreal artistic flair.

Greg Dunn: Illuminating the Mind’s Artistry

Greg Dunn is a remarkable artist whose creative journey seamlessly illuminates the profound beauty of the brain and nervous system.

From his earliest artistic experiments, Dunn, who also holds a PhD in Neuroscience, found that neural forms possessed an innate connection with the aesthetic principles found in minimalist Chinese and Japanese sumi-e scroll and gold leaf painting. This revelation began guiding him toward a unique artistic path.

Daniel Beltrá: Capturing Earth’s Beauty and Humanity’s Impact

Daniel Beltrá, a Madrid-born photographer now calling Seattle, Washington, his creative haven; has a distinctive approach to his photography. His most captivating works are large-scale photographs taken from the air, providing viewers with a sweeping panorama of our world’s wonders and woes.

His unwavering passion for conservation can be seen from this elevated vantage point as he skillfully reveals the contrast of nature’s magnificence and humanity’s destructive footprint.

Mike Libby’s Retro-Futuristic Wonders

Mike Libby, a multi-disciplinary artist hailing from the scenic landscapes of Maine, has a portfolio of eclectic sculptures, models, collages, drawings, and installations that radiate meticulous craftsmanship and boundless conceptual curiosity.

Libby’s Insect Lab project, born out of a love for science fiction, natural history, and storytelling, has truly turned heads and captured imaginations. It is a marriage of preserved insects and meticulously crafted mechanical components – a series that blurs the lines between science fiction and science fact.

Zaria Forman: Drawing Attention to a Changing World

Zaria Forman, a contemporary artist residing in New York, creates astonishingly realistic drawings of arctic landscapes. Her extraordinary talent and methodology have gained her critical acclaim, establishing her as one of today’s most influential artists.

Forman uses her fingers and the palm of her hands almost exclusively to create her drawings of quickly disappearing glaciers and icebergs.