Meteorology and Visual Arts: To Know is to See

Catalog description

This course examines the inter-relationship between what we know and what we see, through an introductory exploration of art and science. Engaging students in the study of weather formation, mainly clouds, artistic depictions within the genre of landscape, and the expressed practice of painting; fosters the development of observational skills necessary for reading the landscape and interpreting collected data. What we know and what we see is an on-going evolution of development; syncing the old with the new. Therefore, observation and interpretation are essential to critical thinking, making the intersection between art and science a fertile ground for discovery and learning. The exciting part of the course is the large amount of overlap in the general ideas and thought processes used in meteorology and art, especially when using clouds as the connective tissue. Scientists and artists are both detail oriented and worry about the quality of their work. Both involve collecting data to find the best approaches to a problem, and reasoning through challenges that arise. Students will be challenged throughout the course to seek these connections and how perspectives from each discipline inform the other. Meteorology and art have long been aligned in a common quest to understand how the world works, each seeking interpretations and explanations using a range of complementary and contrasting practices and perspectives. Clouds come in a vast array of sizes and shapes, and are depicted in art using a variety of techniques, creating a shared focus for a deeper understanding of both areas of endeavor. Students will learn about the concept of mixing, which is important to cloud formation and to painting. Students will conduct experiments to learn about cloud processes, and will learn and practice artistic techniques to convey atmospheric conditions. Ideas from both perspectives will be integrated in analysis and discussion. Data from instruments and the individual artist will be collected, shared, and analyzed. Learning how clouds form will help with painting, and questions and perspectives that arise from painting will increase the understanding of cloud processes. The common threads in this approach are a curious mind, a strong detail-oriented focus, effective communication, and respect for the creative tension between ambiguity and assurance in the search for a better sense of causes, connections, and incessant changes.