NanoArt 2007

Nanoart is defined here as:

NanoArt is a new art discipline related to micro/nanosculptures created by artists/scientists through chemical/physical processes and/or natural micro/nanostructures that are visualized with powerful research tools like Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope.

The process of creating nanoart is described here as:

I bring the small world in front of my audience through high resolution electron microscope scans of natural micro or nanostructures and sculptures I create at micro or nano scale by physical or/and chemical processing. I take further steps by mixing the realistic images of this structures with abstract colors, digitally painting and manipulating the monochromatic electron scans, and finally printing them with long-lasting inks on canvas or fine art paper (giclee prints). This way, the scientific images become artworks and could be showcased for a large audience to educate the public with creative images that are appealing and acceptable.

In a nutshell, the electron microscope provides the raw image, and the artist colours it in to produce an enhanced (i.e. artistic) result. This could range from a trivial colour tinting of the raw image, through to an artistic rendition that is based only very loosely on the raw image. Of course, I favour the more artistic style of nanoart, and I have some ideas on new ways of creating such artwork, but there isn't room in this tiny blog posting to tell you all about it!

Anyway, back to the title of this posting: NanoArt 2007. This is an online competition to create nanoart, and the submission deadline is 31 December 2007. For people without ready access to an electron microscope to create their own raw images there are 3 high resolution monochromatic electron scans provided here (nano-flower), here (micro & nano), and here (nano-crystals). I think it would be fun to enter this competition.