How to solve Essay Title 6 for the Nov 2024 TOK series
Title: In the pursuit of knowledge, what is gained by the artist adopting the lens of a scientist and the scientist adopting the lens of an artist? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.
The Arts
While pursuing knowledge, the artist is free to blur the boundaries between science and arts as they express their own unique perspective. Can this be a good idea for the area of knowledge?
Benefits of a scientific lens
Artists who are open to embracing scientific perspectives expand the scope of their artistic expertise by exploring new mediums, technologies and creative processes. For example, Da Vinci is a famous artist-scientist, with his artworks being informed by his interest in studying the human anatomy and his exploration of engineering, among other interests.
Secondly, artists who keep track of scientific advancements can find ways to inculcate new materials, such as pigments, canvases and digital media, into their artwork. For example, Alberto Burri innovatively used burnt plastic for his artwork in the 1950s, introducing unconventional aesthetics, bringing attention to environmental issues and also adding experiential dimension to his art.
Possible limitations
Artists may not be able to completely adopt a scientific lens since it can lead to limitations in their creativity. For example, while Salvador Dali’s surrealist work ‘The Persistence of Memory’ drew inspirations from Einstein’s theory of relativity, it could be a bit impossible to approach his work from a strictly scientific lens. The work coincidentally also actively tries to defy scientific objectivity.
Secondly, if artists become too analytical, it can affect the emotional impact they leave on the audience. For example, Samuel Morse’s painting, ‘Gallery of the Louvre’, showcases his technical mastery and attention to detail but it has been criticized for lacking the resonance that captivate viewers. The priotization of precision over emotional connection might not be a good idea at all times.
The Natural Sciences
Benefits of an artistic lens
Scientists who adopt an artistic lens can acquire more presentation skills while displaying their work. For example, scientists Stephanie J Forkel and Ahmad Bey used a 3D model of the eye and the brain pathway in 2017, offering a visually captivating neurological portrait which can at the same time be studied for the infinite complex functions of the brain.
A scientist who has an artistic mindset can also encourage unconventional thinking in the pursuit of knowledge. For example, Paul Seli, a psychology and neuroscience professor, used his experiences in the semi-sleep state to later jot down artistic ideas and then created paintings inspired by them, an innovative approach that contributed to scientists’ understanding of creativity and neuroscience.
Possible limitations
Making space for other perspectives can interfere with the importance of objectivity in the natural sciences. For example, when Galileo Galilei’s empirical evidence supported the supported the heliocentric model proposed by Copernicus, his commitment to the empirical data in the face of opposition from the Church revolutionized our understanding of the natural sciences.
Secondly, scientists adopting an artistic lens has the potential to hinder scientific communication. For example, Carl Sagan’s use of poetic language in his ‘Cosmic Calander’ analogy oversimplified complex astrophysical processes in his use of metaphor, and did not convey the scientific nuances that are essential for a learner of science interested in his work.
Related: The Complete Guide to the Nov 2014 TOK Essay Titles
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