Week 8: Nano-Tech and Art

 Nano-Tech and Art

Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular levels. This week’s topic was about how artists use nanotechnology in their pieces of work. Nanotechnology is a rapidly expanding area of research with huge potential in many sectors, ranging from healthcare to construction and electronics. It’s relation with art is quite interesting as it involves creation of pieces of art at an atomic level. Artists who apply nanotechnology in their work are a perfect example of how art and science is connected.

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The John Curtin gallery is an art gallery that has exhibitions comprising of a series of collaborative projects designed to challenge, explore and critique our understanding of the material world. In this gallery, work by various artists who employ nanotechnology is exhibited. One interesting piece is that by Boo Chapple whose aim is to create speakers out of bone. Chapple. He makes use of the piezoelectric nature of the bone matrix to make the bone vibrate and produce sound that is audible.  Other pieces of art exhibited in the gallery include the Nanomandala by professor Vesna and James Gimszewkski and the nano-scape by Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau. 

The Transjuicer

http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology

  Another interesting artist I came across was J Sha who together with ARmark Authentication Technologies, came up with what is believed to be the world’s smallest piece of flat art. This piece of art, called Fish, is said to be smaller than a speck of dust and was created using nanoentonography which is an anti-counterfeit process that creates brand owner specific information at a microscopic level. Apart from art, nanotechnology can be applied in many other fields such as medicine.

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In medicine, the technology promises to revolutionize how diseases and defects can be detected and treated. Nanotechnology is a growing science and several issues with regard to manipulation and changing of substances at atomic levels have been raised. It has proved to be a powerful technology and therefore issues surrounding its application and use cannot fail to come up.

Works Cited

Artbase. Art in the Age of Nanotechnology. N.p. n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. <http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

Gimzewski, Jim, and Vesna, Victoria.  The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. N.p. n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. <http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm>.

RSS. Introduction to Nanotechnology RSS. N.p. n.d. Web. 23  Nov. 2013. <http://nanogloss.com/>.

Sommerer, Christa, and Laurent Mignonneau. Nano-Scape: An Invisible Interactive Structure. N.p.2002. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. <http://www.interface.ufg.ac.at/christa-laurent/WORKS/CONCEPTS/NanoScapeConcept.html>.

The Daily galaxy. Nano-art- The world’s smallest painting. n.p 2007. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. <http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/04/nanoart_the_wor.html#more>