Nanotechnology and Art

   Nanotechnology is invisible to the human eye; it can be manipulated to serve us and can harm us. In our lectures, professor Gimzewski gave us many amazing examples of nanotechnology. It ranged from scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to self organization in nature also known as the golden ratio.

   What interested me the most about the STM was that you can move or propel atoms so they can chemically bond with other atoms and that manipulation makes patterns at a microscopic level.  Here is a beautiful example of this scan and here is a link that leads you to an art gallery of many STM pictures.

http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/Weiss-Group.htm

   When nanosizing materials such as gold it gives us different colors that give that special look in stain glass. When gold is nanosized it is seen as red or orange and this color depends on the size of the particle! Silver is seen as yellow! Here is a stain glass window using nanotechnology before it was even discovered!

   Nanotechnology can also give people without limbs or those in need of organs hope. Biomimicry is the imitation of the structure of other living creatures. There was an example of gecko feet but I was thinking more or a general reptilian structure. When a lizard’s tail is cut off its body generates a new one! This can be used in people without limbs (or so I think).

   Mimicry can also be used in clothing! The lotus flower has a waterproof skin that the droplets of water just slide off. This technology has inspired scientists to create self cleaning fabrics!

   In our reading I really enjoyed the nano-scape, this device allows us to access the nano world through touch! A magnetic force allows one to push around the invisible nano particles thus creating a invisible sculpture.

   From stain glass windows to invisible nano sculptures nanotechnology bridges the gap between art and science because it can take up many forms.

1. "art in the age of nanotechnology." Artabase. John Curtin Gallery, 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

2. "From Nanotech to Nanoscience | Chemical Heritage Foundation." From Nanotech to Nanoscience | Chemical Heritage Foundation. Chemical Heritage Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. 

3. <http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/magazine/articles/26-2-from-nanotech-to-nanoscience.aspx>.

"Nanotechnology: Small Science, Big Deal!." . Nanoscale Information Science Education, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 27 July 2014. 

4. <http://www.nisenet.org/sites/default/files/catalog/uploads/8893/nanotechnology_slides_31oct11.pdf>.

"Nanotechnology Now." Nanotechnology Art Gallery. Weiss Group, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/Weiss-Group.htm>.

5. Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters. "Stained Glass in Medieval Europe". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/glas/hd_glas.htm (October 2001)