During this class did the process of making art help you learn about science?

“The actual making of the art, yes. I used a lot of infrared for this class. The actual interactions occurring in infrared and how it affects larger pieces made me look at things differently than I was beforehand, at least with technology”

“The thing I struggle with is where metaphors fall apart, as far as science goes, because I’m a very metaphor-thinking person. But it kind of helps me build my own metaphors, and if I can create a metaphor that works for me, then I can explain it to someone else, and I know that I’ve learned it if I can explain it to someone else”.

Did the collaboration with scientists change your perspective on scientific research?

Students felt less intimidated as a result of taking the class and gained a better understanding of the science process. 

“I feel like if I didn’t have a scientist as a teacher, I wouldn’t be able to trust it or feel as immersed in the environment. I’m directed, I have focus, and am motivated to continue researching these concepts on my own.”

“Before this class I always thought of it as like a very rigid process, this is true, this is false, very black and white thinking, but hearing Katherine talk about it opened up a lot more gray area. It makes me question all these preconceived notions we have of things that seem very solid but might not be if we look very closely.”

Did the experience change your perception on art?

Most students reiterated that this class and their own work were more on the art side and helped them consider or change the way to approach ideas.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about the difference between scientific visualization versus art that constructs science in a conceptual way. I think our class is more a conceptual way”

“I feel like there’s a lot of debate in science, about like which specific theory is correct, or people, or physicists really go in like “this part isn’t right, this part isn’t right”, but when you make an artwork about a scientific thing it’s more open to interpretation that theories are.” 

“it's definitely changed the way I approach the ideas, but um, the methods I use haven’t really changed.”

Does using science topics in your artwork appeal to you?

Most students confirmed their curiosity or passion toward science through their artwork, and as the main reason for them to take the class.

“ It’s the entire reason I do art actually. I grew up a very huge fan of anything that had to do with sci-fi. I wanted to start thinking about the way we could do a new sci-fi - one that isn’t as harmful specifically to astrophysics.”

“Yes, so in my past work I was mostly focused on doing environmentally focused art. My project has nothing to do with science itself, but it’s rooted in the idea about information and what having a single piece of information is rather than having multiple. That whole idea came out of talking about photons and photons entering your eyeballs. It’s interesting that I’m now talking about these different science topics and using them in ways that are more social or about me.”

“ I think that there are a lot of things in science that are really like puzzling to me, not because of the actual scientific facts or whatever but maybe just the systems that are in place that are more invisible like in terms of like having metaphors to explain a topic, it’s like idealization and how those concepts turn into diagrams and like what those diagrams look like. There’s a very specific aesthetic that like looks like science

I think so… I don’t know how beneficial it is to the science side of it, I don’t know what scientists can get out of my work, but it gives me a huge sense of wonder that’s around me.”

Do you think you’d keep in contact with scientists when you do your work?

Even if the idea is appealing to keep in contact with scientists for future work, some students expressed uncertainty on how to make the contact.

“I think so. It’s important just to have sound facts instead of making things up. I think for artists it will help envision these concepts that are so, like, not visual. I think it’s great to like, bring this palpable entity to this crazy, phenomenal field.”

“I think before I would have gone to a scientist and been like, hey can you help me with my art project? Now I feel confident saying, hey, I’m doing this science and art collaboration and I want your help with it. I don’t feel as intimidated by the bridge between art student and scientist.”

“Yeah, um, I’m not sure how I would go about it outside of the academic. I would feel very nervous about approaching an actual physicist. I feel like they would take me as one the crackpot theorists … so there’s kind of that nervousness to step outside of the academic arena.”