The art of
exploration
Mineral exploration is predicated on
science and the laws of nature, but
it's also a visually driven quest for
rare anomalies in obscure domains,
which makes it an art as well
By Vivian Danielson
24
p24-27_Art.indd 24
w i n t e r
2 013
W
hen it comes to the fine
arts, the myth persists
that scientists are too
rational to make that
leap, despite obvious exceptions such
as Leonardo da Vinci (a scientist and
inventor) and Michelangelo (an architect and engineer). On the flip side, we all
know suffering artists who might suffer
less if they learned basic drawing skills.
Pablo Picasso takes a more balanced and
encouraging view: "Every child is an artist.
The problem is how to remain an artist
once he grows up."
The great minds of history consider
art and science as branches of the same
tree, and believe imagination and intuition inspire both pursuits. As Albert
Einstein said, "I'm enough of an artist to
draw freely on my imagination." Artists
and scientists share other common traits,
including inner drive – the powerful and
inescapable belief that somewhere, something wondrous is waiting to be discovered or created.
Ar twork: Ian Semple
13-11-27 10:01 AM