Chemistry and art
How our activities and resources connect the two subjects
Alex Kersting, Royal Society of Chemistry
Chemistry and art are often thought of as polar opposites. Whilst art is seen as being creative, expressive and fluid, chemistry is analytical, precise and staid. But there is, in fact, a significant crossover between the two subjects. Whilst visiting a museum or art gallery we can easily forget that a lot of science lies behind the exhibits. When it comes to cleaning, conserving and restoring a piece of art for example, science is invaluable.
We’ve chosen to celebrate the connection between chemistry and art by organising a series of activities and events under this theme. By enthusing different audiences with the science secrets behind art, we can help teachers, students and the public appreciate the wider application of chemistry in the world. We’ve developed a wide selection of activities, so that as many people as possible can get involved.
What’s been happening so far?
One example where science and art meet is the scientific laboratories in the National Gallery. The staff here are continually investigating the materials and techniques used in the National Gallery paintings, using familiar chemical techniques such as microscopy, chromatography and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Whilst often unnoticed, their work is incredibly important in establishing even the most basic information, like proving that a painting is by a particular artist.
Faces of Chemistry ...
We started celebrating the theme at the start of 2014, with the release of the latest Faces of Chemistry videos on Learn Chemistry. The videos featured Dr David Peggie and Gabriella Macaro, from the National Gallery Scientific Department, talking about using analytical techniques on a day-to-day basis to discover the secrets hidden in paintings.
One example is the Portrait of Alexander Mornauer. It arrived at the National Gallery with a blue background, which they suspected wasn’t original. So various chemical techniques were used to prove that the blue pigment was Prussian blue, which hadn’t been discovered until 300 years after the painting had been originally painted. They removed the blue paint to find the original brown background (and a taller hat). To find out how they did it, watch the video at www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry
... the Bill Bryson competition ...
Earlier in the year we invited entries to the Bill Bryson Prize, a science communication competition. This year, to tie in with our chemistry and art activities, the theme for the competition was ‘Where is the Art in Science? Where is the Science in Art?’. The entries were bright, creative and bold, and we attracted over 50% more entries than in previous years. We will post all the winning entries on our website, once they have been announced.
... science fairs ...
Chemistry and art activities have also played an important role at a number of public engagement and outreach events we took part in. Visitors at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham and the Cambridge Science Festival had a chance to explore the theme through some interactive exhibitions, such as colour-change chemistry, magic sand, a chemistry and art interactive quiz and crime scene chromatography.
... and public lectures
Our public lecture series has also picked up the theme, with a number of lectures running throughout the year. Our March lecture ‘Extreme Collaboration’ with Helen Storey and Tony Ryan, was based on their personal collaboration between fashion and chemistry.
In June the Director of the Wedgwood Museum, Gaye Blake-Roberts, described Josiah Wedgwood’s interest and involvement in chemistry to improve the Staffordshire pottery industry.This will be followed, in July, by Dr David Peggie, who will describe how behind-the-scenes scientific work is used to provide art historians and conservators with accurate information about the material composition of the paintings.
September’s public lecture will feature Dr Brenda Keneghan from the Victoria and Albert Museum. And finally, in November Philip Ball, the prize-winning author and journalist, will be talking about his book The Invention of Colour.
Resource collection on Learn Chemistry
In addition to these activities we have been developing educational resources and content based on the chemistry and art theme, all of which are available on Learn Chemistry.
We are developing 100 new resources tracing the history, science and technology of art from prehistoric times to Impressionism. They will showcase the breadth of the links between chemistry and art and allow people coming from a variety of different perspectives to discover relevant and interesting content.
These resources will consist of experiments as well as information pages, and will be the backbone of a new area within Learn Chemistry that is specifically dedicated to this theme. Visitors will be able to search the resources by colour, gallery, museum or the era related to a piece of art. That way, users can go on a seamless journey through art and chemistry. At launch the site will initially focus on prehistoric and Egyptian art, but every month we will add to the collection, so keep your eye out for new items.
And what activities are coming up?
This month, we will continue our celebrations of the chemistry and art theme with an exhibition at Burlington House that will take place between 14 and 25 July.
The exhibition combines the artistic interpretation of chemistry by artists and students. It will feature artists from Insight Radical, an Australian initiative that aims to create discussion in the broader community about free radicals and their impact.
Shortlisted entries from the Bill Bryson competition and Bristol ChemLabS Chem@rt, an organisation that brings chemistry into the primary school classroom and stimulates literacy and creativity, will also be included.
We are also showcasing some award-winning Chemistry World ‘Through the Lens’ images. Those visiting the exhibition will be able to cast their eye over this selection of pictures, videos and photographs that interpret the connection between chemistry and art.
In September, we will launch a new book, Science and Art: The Painted Surface, which will show how science and art are increasingly interconnected in the activities of the study and conservation of works of art. And if you’d like to find out more about how art and chemistry are linked, then check out Chemistry World, which included several articles on this topic.
From the vast selection of content we’re working on over 2014, the one question that remains is: where and when will you get involved?
