NANOTECH + ART

 

Vardi Bobrow's work consists of 15 thousand office rubber bands tied together following research on the growth of defective neurons

This week we learned about nanotechnology and its collaboration with art as well as the shift in the paradigm. According to Gimzewski, the term "nano" comes from the Greek for dwarf but in science it refers to a billionth of a meter (Nanotech for Artists Part. 1). In "The Nanomeme Syndrome" Gimzewski and Vesna argues that "seeing is believing" does not apply to nanotechnology as it is based on sensing and proving in a very abstract manner. 

Nanotechnology enables people to visualize and manipulate objects that were invisible in the past (Orfescu). For example, if you take a black material and shrink it down to a nano scale, quantum dots effect appears, which allows you to tune the color by the size of a particle (Nanotech for Artists Part.4). 

Quantum dots

Nanotechnology has a lot of applications in art conservation. One example is nanocontainers for flaky paint. To repair these damages, a "water-based microemulsion system containing water and chemicals called esters along with surfactants" can be applied (Sustainable Nano). The intersection between nanotechnology and art can also be found in the field of structural DNA nanotechnology. The ability to create "designer DNA architectures with accurate spatial control has allowed researchers to explore novel applications such as directed material assembly, structural biology biocatalysis, DNA computing, nanorobotics, disease diagnosis, and drug delivery" (Zhang).

Restoration of Mayan Wall painting using Ca(OH)2 nanoparticles

In conclusion, the intersection of nanotechnology and art represents an innovative frontier where science and creativity merge. Through nanotechnology, artists can create new structures that lead to new dimensions of expressions. 

Works Cited

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. “The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of fact & fiction in the construction of a new science.” https://artsci.ucla.edu/sites/artsci.ucla.edu/files/publications/The%20Nanomeme%20Syndrome.pdf. Accessed 23 May 2024.

Orfescu, Cris. “NanoArt: Nanotechnology and Art.” Wikipedia, https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/nanoart-nanotechnology-art/65026.  Accessed 23 May 2024.

Sandeen, Julie. “Art Conservation and Nanotechnology: A Wonderful Confluence of Arts and Sciences.” Sustainable Nano, 12 May 2017, https://sustainable-nano.com/2017/05/12/art-conservation-and-nanotechnology/.  Accessed 23 May 2024.

Vesna, Victoria. “Nanotech Jim pt1.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE&t=592s.  Accessed 23 May 2024.

Vesna, Victoria. “Nanotech Jim pt4.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCuZetAIhk&t=139s.  Accessed 23 May 2024.

Zhang, Fei. “Structural DNA Nanotechnology: State of the Art and FuturePerspective.” JACS, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/ja505101a.  Accessed 23 May 2024.

Images

Dodel, Hila. “What does nanotechnology have to do with art?” Israel Hayom, 5 July 2021, https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/07/05/what-does-nanotechnology-have-to-do-with-art/.  Accessed 23 May 2024.

Moran, Barbara. “What Are Quantum Dots? | The Brink.” Boston University, 5 June 2017, https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/quantum-dots-breast-cancer-tumors/.  Accessed 23 May 2024.

Sandeen, Julie. “Art Conservation and Nanotechnology: A Wonderful Confluence of Arts and Sciences.” Sustainable Nano, 12 May 2017, https://sustainable-nano.com/2017/05/12/art-conservation-and-nanotechnology/. Accessed 23 May 2024.