Week 8 | Nanotechnology + Art: Ingenuity on the Nanoscale

    Up until this week, I had only heard of nanotechnology, not knowing what it actually was, and have just now been exposed to how amazingly creative you can get with it.
    Nanotechnology is defined as “the branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers… (Oxford Dictionary)” which essentially means the ability to manipulate atoms and molecules. At these miniscule levels, these materials become very difficult and particular to work with and properties of these materials have the capacity to change vastly, so the ability and mastery of being able to maneuver these materials is a very delicate task. 
Nanotechnology Art Gallery


    While the technology was cultivated with the goal of taking our understanding of materials in the nanoscale and applying it to potentially created real world solutions, like minded scientists and artists have used it to help create new means of artistic expression. In the exhibition "Art in the Age of Nanotechnology" at the John Curtin Gallery, a versatile group of scientists and artists, including collaboration by Professor Vesna and James Gimzewski, and individual works by Boo Chapple, Helen Pynor, and the likes. These artists demonstrate the best and most innovative usage of nanotech. A particularly interesting exhibit by Vesna and Gimzewski titled “Zero@Wavefunction” (see video below) observes wave function oscillations at the nanoscale in an attempt to make the concept of the interception of nanotechnology and art simpler to comprehend.



    In addition to making art with this technology, nanotechnological advances have allowed us to even come up with not only new mediums of art, but also different colors, some materials even allowing changing colors. Not only this, but using nanotech, we can take ancient art practices, like Egyptian goldbeating, which is the process of thinning out gold which was oftentimes used to decorate important tombs, and make new and improved ways of doing them on the nanoscale.


Gilded mysteries unveiled: Ancient art meets nanotechnology in nanoscale goldbeating

    

    Overall, art on the nanoscale combines nanotechnology and art in a methodological masterpiece of wonder.

Sources:

Dawkins, Urszula. “Art in the Age of Nanotechnology.” Informit, search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.961591765882718. Accessed 09 June 2024. 

Nutt, D.W. “Cornell Unveils Art in Nanotechnology Age.” The Ithaca Journal, Binghamton, 22 Sept. 2014, www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2014/09/22/cornell-art-biennial/16062763/. Accessed 08 June 2024. 

Lilley, Maiken. “The Art of Nanotech.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html. Accessed 08 June 2024. 

“What Is Nanotechnology?” International Institute for Nanotechnology, 2 Sept. 2022, www.iinano.org/what-is-nanotechnology/. Accessed 08 June 2024. 

“Gilded Mysteries Unveiled: Ancient Art Meets Nanotechnology in Nanoscale Goldbeating.” Phys.Org, 28 Aug. 2023, phys.org/news/2023-08-gilded-mysteries-unveiled-ancient-art.html#google_vignette. Accessed 08 June 2024.

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