I have four stories to tell.  They are interwoven; I will hop from one to another

as I gradually reveal the development of my main characters over a period of 10 years

or so.  The characters I refer to are either scientists or artists who, first, have pooled their knowledge and resources to create ideas which bring the realms of science

and art closer together and secondly, have been given an opportunity to develop their ideas as recipients of a Sci-Art Award.

 

The idea of Sci-Art itself was generated over 10 years ago.  The competition was launched in 1996 with 6 Awards being given to successful partnerships in 1997.  

Since then, every year until 2006, Sci-Art partnerships have continued to benefit from

the receipt of sponsorship.

 

I don’t want to dwell on the history of Sci-Art  but more on what’s been achieved in those years.  The original sponsor, the Wellcome Trust, has stayed true to its belief in Sci-Art from its initiation onwards.  I am always amazed by the fact that from the germ of an idea, where nobody could foresee the result, there has now emerged a powerful creative force for change, innovation and potentially wealth generation.  My task now is to explain why this is so and to put forward suggestions on how, for the future, full benefit  can be obtained from the Sci-Art experiment.

 

Now back to my four stories.  Each traces the course of a successful Sci-Art project but, more than that, during the course of my recounting of these stories, you’ll find that

the main characters (ie. the scientists and artists working in partnership) give candid opinions both on one another and on the learning curve they have undergone together.  

I think you’ll agree that 10 years is a long enough period of time to take stock of what has been an extraordinary adventure.

 

Take Alexa Wright as an example.  In 1996, she was an artist, working with photography and interactive media, who was interested in understanding more about how we as humans experience the world and ourselves.  She didn’t really set out to explore science/art boundaries or relationships; she wanted, at that time, to explore the phenomenon of ‘phantom limb’ experienced by many amputees.  It was only after receiving the first Sci-Art Call for Ideas that Alexa felt she had the status (her word) to approach experts on the subject, Neurologist John Kew and Neuropsychologist Peter Halligan, to discuss her ideas.  

During a five hour conversation, the scientists described phantoms and similar phenomena, discussed the potential causes and answered Alexa’s questions.  

Thus, the idea of AFTER IMAGE was born.  The artist and scientists together made

a successful application for a Sci-Art Award

 

Alexa went on to interview and photograph eight people with amputated limbs.

In consultation with each subject, she then made a series of digitally adjusted photographs, in the subjects’ own homes, which sought to ‘normalise’ for the amputees the more bizarre images of their phantoms.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Whilst investigating notions of normality and the relationship between identity and body-form from a philosophical perspective, the work aims to question ‘public attitudes to physical differences and disabilities’.”

 

 

“It is beneficial to the collaborative partnership when the artist can learn about science, contribute to the extension of scientific language and processes and help develop new scientific methods.”