SciArt Magazine - All Issues December 2015 | Page 4

Letter from the Editor The beauty and complexity of patterns found in nature serve as inspiration for textile designers, architects, scientists, and artists a like. From the stacking of plant cells to the golden spiral to the branching of trees, the natural world we live can be delightfully aesthetic. Our featured Straight Talk artists this issue are Rebecca Kamen and Jody Rasch. Both Kamen and Rasch peer into the cellular, and out to the cosmic. Using the traditional materials of paint and Mylar, these artists pull out the beauty of our natural world too often overlooked. And then there are the patterns and data visualizations created with the aid of computational power—our lead article Autonomous Art looks at art created by algorithms, while one of our Spotlights profiles the work of Iwasa, a molecular animator and biologist. Continuing the discussion of technology in art, E.A.T.—the 1960s art–tech group lead by Rauchenberg and Klüver (among others)— sees an update in the Contemporary Jewish Museum’s current exhibit “N[ew]EAT,” reviewed at the end of this issue. We here at SAiA wish you the happiest of holidays, and thank you once again for your readership. Sincerely, Editor-in-Chief Julia Buntaine Managing Editor Neel V. Patel Blog Editor Danielle Kalamaras Layout & Design Julia Buntaine Contributors Neel V. Patel Danielle McCloskey Megan Guerber Joe Ferguson Copy Editor Stephanie Muscat SciArt in America is based in New York City, New York. Email us with questions, comments, and contributions at [email protected] Julia Buntaine, Founder & Editor-in-Chief In partnership with