September 12, 2014

Like Nails on a Chalkboard

Paintings by some fine artists can be used to thought-provoking effect as illustrations on news or blog posts about scientific advancements.

By Glendon Mellow

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Paintings by some fine artists can be used to thought-provoking effect as illustrations on news or blog posts about scientific advancements. One fine artist who frequently comes to mind for me when I am asked to recommend an illustrator is painter Michelle Hunter.

Hunter focuses on the brain (see an earlier Symbiartic post here) and I am excited that for our September SciArt Blitz, she has offered to share this new work, Cacophony with us.

A painting done entirely in acrylic, Hunter takes the painting convention of including a foreground path into the image and makes it the artist's own hand. Yellow signifies a sound has been heard between 2,000 and 5,000 Hz and the pink amygdala freaks out. The painting is almost a search and find image of potentially distressing sounds. Is it representing moments in time for the artist herself, where the silent act painting is interrupted from the outside?

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For the third year running, we are turning September into a month-long celebration of science artists by delivering new sciart to invade your eyeballs. The SciArt Blitz! Can’t get enough? Check out what was previously featured on this day:

2013: Ambient Plagues Unleashed - art by Elaine Whittaker

2012: Forget Jackalopes, I Want That - art by James Prosek

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