Science is regarded as fact, measurable and backed by laws and theories. From Newton’s law of universal gravitation to his laws of motion, experimentation will prove over and over again that these laws hold true. Although laws in science are rare and many findings are subjective, the view that has been reaffirmed in our society is that science accurately answers questions that cannot be argued. Art, on the other hand, can be interpreted differently by every single viewer. While science can transcend cultural boundaries and hold true for all beings, art and its interpretation is different based on culture and history. The view that science is absolute is untrue because there are many scientific discoveries and experiments that are proved wrong when applied in reality. The reason why we try to understand the world around us through science is because there is a greater chance of a law being true in 100% of cases than an artwork being viewed in 100% the same way.
I don’t think that we always try to understand the world around us through science. There can be many clues found in an artwork about a society. For example, the clothes an individual is wearing or the way furniture is placed can provide an outlook into the world at that time. Also, the way individuals are dressed, such as suits and ties in the Western world, allow different societies to understand the Western world and how formal attire shows success and education. However, societal norms change and the way people think adapts as time goes on. Science, in some cases, can be absolute such as Galileo’s finding that the sun is the center of our universe. This will not change with time; it is universally accepted and can be proven. Art and the emotions it elicits in individuals cannot transcend time, because people in different time periods will view art in their own way. Also, individuality means one artwork will not elicit the same emotions in every single person.
The way we are brought up is to see science and art as two separate things. Science is seen as more based on fact and using the brain over the heart while art is based more on emotions and using the heart over the brain. However, science and art are slowly integrating and we can see science showing up in art. When some abstract ideas or irrational behavior is suggested through artwork, we find it beautiful because science has proven to us that it is impossible for this to occur in nature. In a class activity, my topic was “Impossible Objects” and the art was interesting and provoking because science was incorporated and I had to use my brain in order to see through the alternate perspectives the artist intended. The picture itself was impossible, proven by science, and the way the perspective from which viewer looked at the art dictated the image. Science is used throughout art history not only because of it says is possible, but also because of what it says is impossible. Many artists break scientific rules in order to create an image that our eyes can never witness in reality, making it more beautiful.
