Author: Erik Parker, Torch Staff
Scientific artists and artistic scientists really do exist. In fact, according to Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor at California State University in LA Dr. Carlos Gutiérrez, scientists need art more than artists need science. On Tuesday, November 13, this painter-turned-chemist spoke to a group of 20 students and teachers in the Salisbury-Young Dining Room about the relationship between art and science as part of the Undergraduate Research Center’s “Science, Society and You” series.
In his presentation, Gutiérrez addressed how scientists use art and creativity in their work, as well as his own experiences as an artist and scientist. “I started out as an art student, and I ended up a chemist,” he said. “I believe that creativity in one facet of one’s life spills over to other facets.”
Gutiérrez showed some of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings and scientific drawings to support his claim. “He is the singular genius who has talent in both science and art,” he said. Gutiérrez then spoke of the calculation involved in Claude Monet’s paintings of lilies, which he described as a “moving experience.”
“They reveal an internal nonverbal logic,” he said.
Gutiérrez opposes the separation of art and science into two categories. “I think there’s a general danger when any group separates themselves from society,” Gutiérrez said. He also said “the aesthetic appreciation of art contributes to the aesthetic appreciation of science.”
Gutiérrez spoke about how, as a chemist, he is required to communicate visually, such as showing what a molecule looks like. He mentioned many scientists who aspired to synthesize molecules solely for aesthetic value. “‘The scientist . . . needs an artistically creative imagination,'” Gutiérrez said, quoting Nobel Prize-winning scientist Max Planck. He also mentioned many scientists who believe in the “sensuality” of their experimentation.
Gutiérrez said that his presentation was not intended to prove that chemistry is art. “But I certainly believe that human creativity . . . nourishes both art and science,” he said. “I absolutely believe that from [art] we get inspiration and ideas and that from [science] we prove and disprove them.”
Students and professors present at the talk were mostly involved in science, art, or both. Emma Crow-Willard (sophomore), a physics major who is also strongly interested in theater and design, said she related to Gutiérrez because of her diverse interests. “I really like both the scientific and artsy sides. I participate in both,” she said.
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