After reading Art is Nature (An Artist's Perspective on a New Paradigm) by George Gessert, I wondered about the sustainability of biological art. I don't believe plant breeding is or should be considered High Art even though a few artists have tried it though the years. Even though Andy Warhol states that "Art is what the Artist can Get away with" and seems to be the case more and more. So science has provided us with many different ways to look at nature, from microscopes, to X-rays, to MRI's all the while complicating the question of what is nature. Looking at images of nature as art is one thing but including nature (biology) as a work brings up another whole "can of worm". One is the change of ownership to custodianship and what that means for the future of the art piece. Which makes me think about Damien Hirst and his Shark at the Met. It no longer is the same shark, it had to be replaced because it was roting from the inside out. So it is know longer the original piece of work which brings in to question its value and its sustainability. What happens if the artist is know longer around to chose a new shark the next time?
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind...
The second reading for this week The biological gaze by Evelyn Fox Keller talk about looking with out touching and how that it is becoming more and more difficult to do with that advance of science ability to look. The introduction and advancement of the Microscope brought in to question what is seeing, if you can see and not touch is it real? This question make me think of these Photographers and there way of seeing which in more invasive and less invasive.
Colgate maxfresh, Kiss me mint, Erik Boker
Untitled #12, Carlos Tarrats
I also kept thinking about Damien Hirst reading these articles, I kept looking for paintings of his I once ran across which were huge colorful images of Viruses and bacteria. To me it's always been fascinating how we find biology so aesthetically pleasing. In a sense it's decorative yet we fear it as well. this makes again go back to the shark and its title referring to how humans cant come to terms with death. I find that to be a core in our relationship to nature and science , at the end all science proves to us is we will perish.
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