May 26, 2019 Week 8: Nanotechnology and Art

May 26, 2019

Week 8: Nanotechnology and Art

            Nanotechnology is a recent new realm of science. Its roots can be traced back to Richard Feynman, one of the engineers of the hydrogen bomb, who said, "There's plenty of room at the bottom." At the time, like Dr. James Gimzewski mentioned in his lecture, Mr. Feynman was not talking about nanotechnology per se, but his words would influence the future of the scientific community. 

Paintings in the Brancacci Chapel 

            For years nanotechnology has been at the forefront in art conservation. One well-known example is using nanodroplets to remove oils that accumulate onto the surface of ancient paintings. This nanodroplet cleaning process was first used for the restoration of paintings in Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy. The restorers used "hydrocarbon (oil) droplets stabilized in water" to form a sort of coating around the piece, protecting it from further damage caused by slow breakdown of the binders in the paint (referred to as flaking). 

Flamingo by Cris Orfescu

            Even more shocking than using nanotechnology for art preservation is that artists are using this technology to create representations of nanomaterial found in some common household consumer and food products. Nanotechnology is found in more than 1,000 products, most of which we do not even think contain nanomaterial. Some examples that stood out to me include: underwear, smart washing machines, hot dogs, sunscreen, and beauty products. One artists making headway in this field is Christian Orfescu, a scientist by day but an artist by night (Cris Orfescu). His inspiration is that he wants to show the people of the world all of the nanoparticles that surround them in their everyday lives. To produce his drawings, he uses an electron microscope to scan the material he is observing. He donated his microscope to artists who wanted to participate in the "Science as Art" contest that he held to further demonstrate the overwhelming presence of nanoparticles. 

One of the pictures submitted to the "Science as Art" contest

            Some groups, like the ETC, are opposed to the use of nanotechnology in the space. One reason for this is that some material commonly used for study has been monopolized by a select few. One popular "blacklisted material" is VantaBlack, the darkest material on Earth. It is produced by the UK Surrey NanoSystems, but Anish Kapoor, a controversial British artist, has an exclusive licensing agreement with the company. This is why the future of nanoart faces many challenges, but if it succeeds, the world will inevitably see breakthroughs in both art and science. 

VantaBlack

References

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May. 2019. http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm.

Lilley, Maiken. "The Art of Nanotech". NOVA. WGBH, 19 Nov 2010. Web. 26 May 2019.

Gimzewski, James, narr. “NanoTech Art Lectures I-VI.” N.p., Web. 26 May 2019.

Feder, Barnaby J. “The Art of Nanotech.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2008, bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/the-art-of-nanotech/?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=21202CE399CB50C8A794A899706E0B7C&gwt=pay.

O'Brien, Nathan. “Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials; Where Science Meets Art.” Nano News, 18 Apr. 2017, blogs.flinders.edu.au/nano-news/2017/04/18/nanotechnology-and-nanomaterials-where-science-meets-art/.

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

Feder, Barnaby J. “New Economy; Nanotechnology Has Arrived; a Serious Opposition Is Forming.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2002, www.nytimes.com/2002/08/19/business/new-economy-nanotechnology-has-arrived-a-serious-opposition-is-forming.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=1A606EF1C99988E857B6D81288BF0C18&gwt=pay.

Flinders University. VantaBlack Applied to Aluminum Foil. Photograph. 2017. https://blogs.flinders.edu.au/nano-news/2017/04/18/nanotechnology-and-nanomaterials-where-science-meets-art/

Saliko, Jusef. Picture of the Brancacci Chapel. Photograph. 2014. http://sustainable-nano.com/2017/05/12/art-conservation-and-nanotechnology/

Orfescu, Cris. Flamingo. Photograph. 2012. http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/Cris-Orfescu.htm

Materials Research Society Group. Stem. Photograph. 2013. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html