The Relationship between Art and Science

© 19961SAST C()NFERENCE OVERVIEW The Relationship between Art and Science t e basic idea of the International Workshop on Art and Science held in Vinci in December 1992 (with the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], the European Economic Community (ECC) and Ente Nazionale di Energie Alternative [ENEA]) was to study how the relationship between art and science has evolved over time and how it can be expected to develop in the future. The need for a sociohistorical approach was initially expressed by the World Academy ofArt and Science (WAAS)-a non-government organization whose members are scientists, artists, art historians and critics [I]-with the conviction that it was time to take a closer look at both the historical links between science and art and the ways in which humans use science and art to better understand nature. This latter process was described by Ilya Prigogine as a "dialogue" between nature and science; for others it is art that offers insight into human nature and the natural environment. The discussion in Vinci of the past, present and, in particular, the future relationships between art, science and nature was only the starting point of a greater discussion that can be expected to last for years to come. Indeed, in my view, this discussion will be central in a world of increasing complexity characterized by increasingly rapid and interrelated change. Human beings will need to use every means at their disposal to understand the complexity [2] in which they are forced to live. Human creativity is at the basis of both science and art, each of which in turn contribute to our understanding of nature and complexity. This aspect was discussed at length at the conference. According to conference participant Richard Gregory, science is explanatory and art evocative [3]. Both functions, in my view, are destined to gain increasing importance as social or global complexity increases. In the opinion of art critic and conference participant Gillo Dorfles, what distinguishes art from science is that art is done voluntarily with no expectation of return, while science is, in a certain sense, a contract indicating that some kind of return is expected [4]. This view carries with it a value judgment in favor of a division between areas of human knowledge that must be revisited at a time when human survival is at stake-whether as a result of natural or social reasons-and when all possible approaches to knowledge are needed. The debate in Vinci focused on the relationship between two ways of looking at global complexity-through art or through science-in both the present and the future . In describing the relationship between art and science in the past, conference participant Umberto Colombo emphasized the similarities that have existed between these two forms of knowledge and their interpretations of nature and reality over time [5]. He referred to the historical role ofArab culture in preserving elements of art and science from and for other cultures and suggested that, as the Renaissance gave way to the modern age, art and science began to move apart. He claimed that it is only now that their former ties are being renewed, to the benefit of both disciplines and society at large. Colombo gave the example of Leon Battista Alberti's fascination with geometrical perspective in the Renaissance and of the great Italian masters, such as Paolo Uccello LEONARDO, Vol. 29, No.1, pp. 19-22, 1996 19 and Piero della Francesca, whose works are now being scientifically analyzed byexperts with the goal of gaining a better understanding of what the relationship between art and scientific knowledge was for Renaissance artists. An example of this kind of analysis is the work being done by Marilyn Lavin, who was present at the Vinci meeting and whose paper is included in this special section. As indicated by Colombo in his paper, modern science can help us gain a better understanding of the artist and scientist of the past. In this way, Leonardo da Vinci's works, rather than merely representing the joint function of art and science in terms of assisting human beings in the understanding of nature, illustrate the coexistence of...