Week 8: Nanotechnology and Art

 The dichotomy between science and art truly lies in the idea of seeing is believing. Science revolves around quantitative measuring and labeling, while art just allows things to exist for the sake of aesthetics without the need to understand it fully. The interesting part of nanotechnology is it explicitly explains what artists have been doing for thousands of years.

Lycurgus Cup based from the British Museum

The prophet Daniel from Augsburg Cathedral (c. 1065)

As a novice purveyor of Art History, the conception of art and mediums/material have been a great interest of mine. Beginning with the Lycurgus Cup, created by the Romans in the 4th century, it displays their stumbling towards higher technology without the scientific background to it. This glass is able to change colors based on the position of the light. With the combination of silver and gold, grounded into its nanosize, Roman glassmakers were able to create a green hue when light hits the front while a red is seen when the lights arrive from the back. Interestingly, the model of light as a representation of or alteration of art had been interpreted as a symbol of God when transmitted through a stained glass window of a Gothic church. They employed silver nitrate nanoparticles to create the yellow tint, while the red was due to gold chloride. This allowed Christian churches to flourish in creating heaven on earth by immersing their followers with colorful light entering the previously dark places of worship. They believed light was the manifestation of the word of God, thus the intersection of an unknown scientific knowledge with a faith-based belief system speaks to humanity’s need to label what’s in front of them. 

Description of Quantum Dot

Later it was discovered that it was due to the changing properties of metals when they enter the nano level. Electrons of these metals vibrate accordingly when it is hit by light, thus altering the projected color to the person. In fact, we have been able to harness this technology into Quantum dots, which use the shape, composition, structure, and size of nanoparticles to modify color. 

It is truly astonishing how artists stumble into scientific discoveries when they are simply expanding the medium at which they want to express themselves. There’s a certain element in the diversity of an artist’s mind that allows them to use different materials and never be limited by traditional art. Growing up with a scientific mind, I took up sketching to balance it out, but I’m still limited to a pen and paper medium. Perhaps I could broaden my horizon using mixed media collages like the cubist movement of the early 20th century.

References

Chi Chan was program coordinator for innovation in the Institute’s Center for Contemporary History and Policy. “From Nanotech to Nanoscience.” Science History Institute, 3 Sept. 2020, www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/from-nanotech-to-nanoscience.

“Drinking-Cup: British Museum.” The British Museum, www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1958-1202-1.

“Medieval Stained Glass.” Wikiwand, www.wikiwand.com/en/Medieval_stained_glass.

Merali, Zeeya. “This 1,600-Year-Old Goblet Shows That the Romans Were Nanotechnology Pioneers.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Sept. 2013, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-1600-year-old-goblet-shows-that-the-romans-were-nanotechnology-pioneers-787224/.

“NanoAwareness Nanotechnology Applied to Stained Glass Windows.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Feb. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKTMrkTHBA&ab_channel=C%C3%A1tedraSAMCAdeNanotecnolog%C3%ADa.

Nayfeh, Munir. “Nanoeffects in Ancient Technology and Art and in Space.” Fundamentals and Applications of Nano Silicon in Plasmonics and Fullerines, 2018, pp. 497–518., doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-48057-4.00016-5.

“Samsung and LG Exit the LCD Market. Quantum Dots and Organic LEDs Take the Stage - News.” All About Circuits, www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/samsung-and-lg-exit-the-lcd-market-quantum-dots-and-organic-leds-take-the-stage/.

“Stained Glass: History and Technique (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/gothic-art/beginners-guide-gothic-art/a/stained-glass-history-and-technique.

Uconlineprogram, director. Nanotech Jim pt3. YouTube, YouTube, 21 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108&t=5s.