Artist finds passion proving ties between art and science

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This article was published 03/07/2020 (2271 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Science and art are often considered very different things, like cats and dogs or apples and oranges.

But Seema Goel believes differently and will be discussing the commonalities between the two on tonight’s Art Talk/Art Walk The Science of Art and the Art of Science hosted by Free Press contributor Alison Gillmor.

Goel, a multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges the perceived gap between art and science, says there are great points of overlap between the two.

“The main thing that I’ve come to,” she says, “is that artists are doing the same things as scientists, but in different ways. What scientists do is that they take a whole bunch of different data points and then they try to come up with a universal response that can be applied to any situation.”

Artists, she explained, are doing the opposite.

“They are taking a universal experience that we all have and connecting it to the individual,” says Goel. “They are making the universal specific.

“But they’re both asking the same questions: how does the world work? How do I fit within it? How do we all connect? What’s our purpose?”

Goel and Gillmor will converse about creativity and collaboration at the intersection of science and art via a livestream session of the monthly Art Talk/Art Walk series presented by the Winnipeg Free Press and First Fridays in the Exchange, an event that would normally see crowds exploring the galleries, shops and restaurants of the district on the first Friday of the month.

Goel notes that science and art do have many differences, such as the way they approach their questions, the agenda behind the question and the materials used in each discipline, but she also identifies important similarities they share: gatekeeping is present in both and each one is impacted by rigid systems and structures that uphold the status quo.

She also acknowledges one major difference between art and science.

“Scientists love a good question, but they are looking for answers, whereas an artist would never suggest that they have a final answer.”

The link between art and science is important because data indicates that the arts significantly foster success in the sciences. That’s useful news for any eager scientists looking to improve their work, artists desiring a change or parents trying to support their children as they plot out a career path. But perhaps that plotting and planning is best left to serendipity.

“Serendipity is one of the most important components of science,” adds Goel, “and artists also depend on serendipity.”

Selections of Goel’s art can be viewed online at seemagoel.com. The First Friday Art Talk will livestream on YouTube tonight at 7 p.m. For details and link, see facebook.com/FirstFridaysInTheExchange.

frances.koncan@freepress.mb.ca