When artist and curator Lisa Hochstein discovered
that a science center was sharing a wall with
an art gallery, she became intrigued by the
idea of artists and scientists working together
"In order to explore different ways they both
study and represent the world".
With the help of the R. Blitzer Gallery and
the USGS's Pacific Coastal & Marine Science
Center, Lisa's idea for collaboration was
able to come to fruition in the form of the
Earth.Science.Art project , where the art
in the gallery was inspired by the scientific
research being done just on the other side
of the wall.
Sixteen USGS scientists were paired with sixteen
professional artists, with the artists' goal
being to create a work inspired by their partners'
scientific research.
The scientists were instructed to create posters
illustrative of their research, to hang beside
the art work.
The ripples in the field study photographs
of sedimentologist David Rubin, inspired artist
Adam Cardello, due to their mesmerizing gradual
repetitive motion.
Denise Smith felt an emotional connection
with Li Erikson's research on how changing
climate is redefining the Alaskan coastline,
and how those changes affect native populations.
Artist Jamie Abbott was immediately drawn
to Amy Draut's work on the dam removal and
river restoration project for the Elwha River
in Washington state.
Artist Helen Golden actually got to work with
her own daughter, USGS geographer Nadine Golden.
As a science illustrator, Amadeo Bachar was
very excited to be asked to be a part of the
Earth.Science.Art project.
This piece is based off the research of Patrick
Barnard who studies seafloor morphology and
sediment movement in the San Francisco Bay.
