Nanotech + Art

Topographical Scanning Tunneling Microscope Image

      Nanotechnology is a recent field that exists on a minutely small scale. Richard Feynman portrays this idea with his phrase, “There’s always room at the bottom” (Gimsezki). Nanotechnology was only made visible to the eye by the Scanning Tunneling Microscope created in 1981. It works by using rasters across the surface of atoms to create a topographical map of the object (Scanning). Pictured to the left is an image of this that ultimately translates to an artistic piece. Ultimately, this piece underlies the foundation of nature and its unique shapes and patterns that comprise our world today. The bounds of reality begin to bend as we enter this realm of the more imaginary as we cannot conceptualize these images or what they mean.

Blurring of Reality with the
Nanoscale

Vesna and her coauthor, Gimzewski describe how nanotech and art collide to understand this idea. The blurring between real and the imaginary on the nano scale stimulate artistic interests as they venture into the unknown and attempt to understand it from different perspectives. Nanotech and art have this commonality where they both manipulate sensory perceptions (Gimsezki & Vesna). This world is no longer governed by the same physical rules witnessed in our everyday life.

Now, artists have found the art behind nanotech and have created a new medium for work. For example, Christian Orfescu works in a nanotech lab on lithium ion batteries, however works on his ‘nanoart’ after a long day’s work. He lets colors and shape-shifting run wild as he uniquely manipulates objects on the nanoscale (The). He has a nanoart webpage that has pictures of his beautiful nanolandscape, nanodesign, and nanosculpture designs that I will embed below:

One of Orfescu's Nanoart Pieces

Christian Orfescu's Nanoart

Nanotechnology is quickly becoming integrated in our daily lives and hopefully its tools will become more available to artists to continue exploring this abstract form or art.

References

"The Art of Nanotech." Bits The Art of Nanotech Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016.

"Cris Orfescu." Cris Orfescu. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016.

Gimzewski, Jim. Nanotech and Art Lecture. Web. 19. May 2016.

Jim Gimzewski & Victoria Vesna. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science." The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016.

"Scanning Tunneling Microscopy." How an STM Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016.

Vesna, Victoria, and Jim Gimzewski. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science." The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016.