Star Stuff installation (2012). Image courtesy the artist.
other hand, brought the beauty of everyday
pop culture into the art world. Both of these
figures breathed new life into their respective
fields by opening them up to new audiences. If
there is one thing that can be accomplished by
SciArt, it is the bringing together of scientists
and artists to make both fields more easily accessible and appreciated by a larger audience.
As for a specific project, I can’t even imagine
what amazingness might be brought to fruition
by a meeting of those two great minds, but you
can be sure it would be right up there with the
cronut.
MG: Bioart, the use of life as a medium, is known for
pushing ethical boundaries. While not many may be
concerned about the use of bacteria in art, it does begin
to enter the gray area of what is considered to be “ethical artistic practice.” How do you navigate this gray
zone and still stay true to your inquisitive mind?
ZC: Ethics in art is a question that naturally
arises anytime an artist is working with living
organisms. But let’s be realistic, we kill just as
SciArt in America June 2014
many bacteria every time we wash our hands as
I do when I make a piece of art.
MG: What is your vision for the future of sciart? In
breaking down the dichotomy between the two fields,
how do you feel discovery can grow?
ZC: I sort of touc Yۈ \