The dialogue between art and science has powerfully shaped both endeavors since antiquity. Artists have been pioneering figures in disciplines from engineering to medicine, while scientists have decisively influenced our visual culture with their discoveries. In an authoritative and accessible text with over 200 diagrams and illustrations, Art and Science explores the fascinating history of this interaction for the first time.


Throughout history, science and art have reflected similar values and used parallel tools and methods. Artists and scientists today are intrigued by the advancements in each other's fields. Artists are fascinated by atomic structure, the Big Bang, and DNA, while scientists try to explain theories with images that will embody "the beauty of their logic."


Art and Science focuses on the most illuminating intersections of art and science--how science has shaped architecture, from Stonehenge to contemporary buildings that reflect research on DNA; how mathematical principles have impacted decorative design; how perceptual discoveries have influenced the development of painting; and how discoveries in the physical disciplines have transformed the performing arts, from music to movies. In a wide-ranging discussion across these and many other disciplines, this clearly written, well-illustrated volume provides an accessible introduction to an enduring dialogue.