Robert Langs Origami as Art & Science

The perception of Origami held by most is that of an obscure Japanese folk art. Challenging this perception is the work of Robert Lang who's detailed and highly complex folds are in keep with Origami's recent transformation from art to science.

The 1980s marked a turning point for Origami as it increasingly became the subject of mathematicians, scientists and engineers. The next decade welcomed a flood of ideas, theories and genuine breakthroughs exposing a truth and power in Origami marking it's renascence and future direction.

Scorpion HP, opus 541 | One uncut square of Korean hanji paper | Copyright Robert Lang

Art Imitating Hard Science

Inspired by the physics of Fermilab on a recent tour with physicist Teppei Katori, joint curators Chuck Przybyl and Edyta Stepien have encouraged a pose of artists to create an ensemble fit for showcasing the universe.


Hard Science - Any of the natural or physical sciences wherein facts or truths are derived from empirical investigations or experiments based on scientific method.
Unlike scientists of other disciplines, particle physicists perceive their work through mathematical equations, charts, models and various computer generated data sets. Whilst this method of communication is useful for those in the know, the message would be lost on anyone outside of this particular realm.

Appreciating this fact and the overwhelming drive to be able to visualise all this information Chuck and Edyta realised the potential of the theories and experiments of Fermilab to be communicated through contemporary conceptual art.

Bellow are some of my favourite pieces from the Hard Science Exhibit.

Distilled Expressions

Using a polarised light, an optical microscope and an attached camera, BevShots sheds light on your favourite brew like never before.

Cocktails, Beers and other concoctions come to life with a unique set of colours and patterns with the uniquely developed method of microscopy available only at BevShots.

To date, BevShots remains unique in both science and art.

Piña Colada Copyright Michael W. Davidson and Florida State University Research Foundation, Inc

Our Universe, The Elegant Fractal?

For as long as we’ve looked up into the sky and marvelled at the beauty and elegance of nature, there has been an unrelenting urge to understand its very essence.

The philosophical notion that natures secrets lay in the patterns of nature and numbers gained momentum in the early modern period as mathematics, science, art and religion grew strongly. The Golden ratio was highly recognised as a leading contender because of it's mystical like properties, it's abundance in nature and it's perceived mathematical beauty.

A 21st Century Approach to Marquetry

Wall Piece | River | Copyright Theo Kamecke

Beauty in engineering is often a result of function or purpose, but it can also be deliberate as an aid to readability and maintainability.

Circuit boards are a great example. Look at any circuit board and you'll see groups of components and connections. Often the connections will flow from one, to another or around components creating a mirror, rotational or other symmetrical image.

On their own they can be quite beautiful, but wouldn't it be great if the beauty was more accessible, spelt out to us who are not so in tune with the symmetries of nature?

Introducing Theo Kamecke.

Painting With E. Coli

In the expanding space of scientific methods meets artistic endeavour comes another hybrid of human creation by the name of Growing Impressions: A scientific technique used to grow art.

Blue/white screening is a technique used to seperate and identify colony's of cells who's Chromosomal DNA have or have not been modified by introduced DNA. If the bacteria remain unmodified by the introduced DNA, they will turn blue as they continue to grow, like in the following photos. However, in Growing Impressions, you wont see any white E. Coli. These Ecoli have been produced especially to produce the blue pigment.

Amy Chase Gulden | E. Coli on Agar | Copyright Amy Chase Gulden

Poetic Science makes good Scientific Poetry

This blog post contains copyrighted material. Before reproducing text or images from this blog please contact the publisher and respective poets. Thank you.



Science Made Marvellous was launched in SA on the weekend at the Royal Institute of Australia's (RiAus) Science Exchange in Adelaide.

Nestled amongst a host of speakers addressing the science art divide, a Science themed Haiku inspired competition and a presentation of science meets art creations by the students of the Australian Science and Mathematics School: this was truly an event Where Worlds Collide.

Bellow you will find the published books as a result of the Science Made Marvellous competition. A poem from each book has been reproduced in full.

Each book is downloadable at no cost by clicking on the title or cover.

Sci-ku @ Where Worlds Collide

The Royal Institute of Australia brought Adelaide yet another gem of work last weekend in the event title Where Worlds Collide.

High lights of the evening where no doubt the readings of Sci-ku and Science Made Marvellous competition winners. However, not to be out done, featured talkers Erica Jolly and Roger Reiss gave insightful and passionate accounts on the collision between science and poetry and enlightened us on how these once disparate fields can conjoin to inspire and inform.

In collaboration with the Friendly Street Poets the RiAus announced the winners of the Sci-ku competition in which entrants were to write three line science themed poems inspired by the Japanese poetry haiku - although syllables/moras were not counted. Entries were enetered in either the primary school, secondary school or open age categories.

Cara Phillips: Ultraviolet Beauties

Whilst I'm waiting on various permissions to reproduce artists work in my much anticipated poetry blogs, I stumbled accross an interesting expose of Cara Phillips and her black&white Ultraviolet Photography.

Say what?

Cara Phillips | Ultraviolite Beauties | Copywrite Cara Phillips

Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef

In my daily trawling of art and science related news I came accross an article featuring the latest exhibition from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

As usual, click on the photos to open a new tab or be redirected to the original flickr photo stream.


Smithsonian Community | Two Coral Polyps | All rights reserved by aporanee