Event Post -- Fowler

As learned in lecture, CP Snow coined the separation of art and science. He considered it as two distinct fields – one that belonged to literary intellectuals and one that belonged to natural scientists. However, during my trip to Fowler Museum, I didn’t notice these two cultures. I have reached a point in this course where I view art in the lens of John Brockman and the Third Culture – or fusion of the two.

Russian Style Silver

Irish Style Silver

            As I was wondering around Fowler, I came to my favorite exhibit that portrayed this fusion of technology and art – Reflecting Culture: The Collection of Silver. This exhibit stems from the rise of silversmiths and the technology associated with this craft. Silversmiths had to use lung-powered blow pipes for soldering and annealing and had to use a myriad of tools to carefully craft the silver objects. From this, they were able to create beautiful pieces of silver that doubled as art and household items. What I found most interesting about this display was how the silver objects differed by country, portraying their different artistic styles. The Irish style incorporated a smoother surface and focused on the shine and simplicity of silver. This contrasted with the Russian style that was more embellished with stones and intricately carved designs.

Myself at the Exhibit

            This art parallels the development of technology and perfection of the craft as it spread across countries. This is so interesting to me because it makes me realize the subtle story behind each artistic piece and how it ultimately shows the technology and culture of its time. This is definitely something I would like to write about in my final paper because I feel as if I’ve reached this point where I am able to notice the story behind each work of art and I never knew my mathematically geared brain would be able to. I definitely recommend this exhibit to all my classmates who appreciate the more refined and metallic works of art because it will definitely challenge them to see beyond the art itself and into the culture of the work.