But is it Art?: Yarn Theory
I recently came across a story at Newscientist.com titled How To Knit A Brain about visual artists who have used yarn to represent the gunk inside our noggins in anatomiclly correct manner. The image above is by Psychiatrist/ Textile Artist Karen Norberg. Below the jump is a work by psychologist/textile artist Marjorie Taylor.
The works of both women and a few others, can be be found at The Museum of Scientifically Accurate Fabric Brain Art, or as I like to call it, MSAFBA. MSAFBA hails itself as, “the world’s largest collection of anatomically correct fabric brain art,” a claim I’m inclined to accept at face value, though Joe Harbaugh’s Anatomically Accurate Brain Fiber Art Emporium is catching up fast.
Anyways, what I found particularly interesting about this story, and the fact that there is an entire site devoted to this specialized genre, is how un-unique it is. There’s been a host of stories lately about textile artforms being used to further science.
It all seems to have started with Daina Taimina’s illustration of mathematical hyperbolic forms (explained in more detail here). As it turns out, Coral Reefs, and any number of other natural phenomena are well described by these forms, so that they can be three dimensionally represented in yarn. This has helped scientists better understand these structures in general.
Even as yarn coral reefs have popped up around the world, other mathemeticians have taken up knitting as a legitimate form of modeling. Hinke Osinga managed to crochet a mainfestation of chaos theory she called the Lorenz Manifold (after Edward Lorenz, father of the “Butterfly Theory”):
If you would like to try your hand at knitting math, Sarah-Marie Belcastro, who designed a proof detailing the ability to knit any topological suface, has created an online Mathematical Knitting Resource with designs for beginners. She has also written a book with fellow mathematical crafter, Carolyne Yackel titled, Making Mathematics with Needlework: Ten Papers and Ten Projects.
Now, having linked to all those, do I take anything greater from this trend of practically applying fiber art in science? Why yes, thank you. I think it is a perfect illustration of the value of interdisciplinary cross-pollination. The injection of new perspectives into even the oldest of subjects can only result in advances from which everyone benefits. As women and other cultures are more and more ingrained in the everyday practice of fields they were once denied in favor of MWASPS like me, its inevitable that they will help usher in revolutions never conceived of by the previous establishment.
Similarly, art and science also inform each other from their different vantage points (as do any number of other fields). You never know what random connection may key the next revolution in any field, and I take this as instruction to always keep your eyes open and bring everything you know to bear on everything you do.
As Donny Hathaway once tautologically observed, “everything is everything.”
-JD
January 13, 2009 at 8:16 pm
very cool!
January 13, 2009 at 9:06 pm
you should check out the new paxton gate kids store on valencia street. they have knitted frog and rat dissections. it was so much like my job i almost wanted to take it home with me!
January 13, 2009 at 9:24 pm
how cool. this reminds of something i saw recently on “urban knitting: the worlds most inoffensive graffiti” where renegade knitters add sweaters to all sorts of things including completely covering a gas station.
http://deputy-dog.com/2008/11/urban-knitting-worlds-most-inoffensive.html
i wish i could knit but i tend to get distracted and lose count.
January 14, 2009 at 12:29 am
“it was so much like my job i almost wanted to take it home with me!”
I’m no neuroscientist or anything but I’m pretty sure that’s the mark of a deranged mind.
T-square- did Christo sue them over the gas sation thing?
January 14, 2009 at 11:24 am
The following relates to “illuminating the brain” and “taking your work home with you.
http://www.wbur.org/news/2008/80575_20081009.asp
When it comes to obsession about science I find it’s not that far from obsession about art. This 80 year old Nobel Price recipient seems to have come up with some lovely imagery which stirs thoughts about art in his discoveries as pure seredipity. Inasmuch as nature simply transferred with realistic depiction on the cellular level he has stumbled upon something that is at least beautiful and enigmatic.
January 14, 2009 at 11:34 am
Additionally (now obsessed to find some photos to show):
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/PIEAGL.html?show=reviews
January 14, 2009 at 11:46 am
above from: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15886895
January 14, 2009 at 2:35 pm
cool links andrew, i especially like the visuals on that last one.
and JD, i think i may be dense but the Christo reference just went right over my head. All i know about his is those big orange flags everyone got so pissed about here in NY.
January 14, 2009 at 4:04 pm
[...] Can Have A Didactic Component? Who Knew??!! This is knid of related to the yarn theory post yesterday in that it involves scientists trying to study art, but I wonder if this isn’t [...]
February 7, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Huh, To me, whom ever said that this is an art, his/her brain most be JUST LIKE THAT… LOL!
P.S. Only paintings and sculpture are ART. Rest are, either some kind of performance (dancing, singing, acting…) or “hand crafts” that our old, old folks did in everyday life and young, so called artists modified and proclaimed themselves a great, kiss my shadow, ARTISTS… ha, ha, ha.
February 7, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Huh, To me, whom ever said that this is an art, his/her brain most be JUST LIKE THAT… LOL!
P.S. Only paintings and sculpture are ART. Rest are, either some kind of performance (dancing, singing, acting…) or “hand crafts” that our old, old folks did in everyday life and young, so called artists modified and proclaimed themselves a great (kiss my shadow), ARTISTS… ha, ha, ha.
April 14, 2009 at 1:34 pm
We are doing an exhibit of knitted /crocheted sculpture called “Yarn Theory”It features artists, scientists and mathematicians, and it includes Sarsh-Marie Belcastro, whom you mention.
It opens April 25th in NYC. Here is the link to our blog, with all of the surrounding info. I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts….
http://ps122gallery.wordpress.com./
April 14, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Thank you PS 122 for letting me know about that, I won’t be in town for the opening, but would love to come stop by and cover it for the blog before the show closes, it looks really interesting!
April 14, 2009 at 5:35 pm
[...] Yarn Theory Redux In mid-January I posted about a recent trend of using fiber art to visualize certain scientific or methematical concepts. [...]
May 14, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Hello! Thanks for the great info. I will be back to see another post!