UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 07 SEPTEMBER 2010
An eye catching exhibition combining science and art is opening its doors to the general public next week.
‘The Art of Iridescence: Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder’ is a beautiful collection of paintings depicting iridescent butterflies by Birmingham City University artist Franziska Schenk.
Franziska explains: “Deploying the rainbow colours of Nature’s iridescence, the exhibition introduces a dynamic dimension into painting – traditionally a stationary medium. Mimicking natural iridescent structures of butterfly wings, I’ve adapted the latest industrial colour-changing nanoparticles.
“The exhibition is unique in the sense that it incorporates the latest findings from materials science, optical physics and evolutionary biology.”
Showcased across two venues – Birmingham City University’s School of Art in Margaret Street and the Rotunda building at the University of Birmingham – the paintings depict variations of the same butterfly image, mirroring evolutionary processes.
Imaginative, readily accessible and visually striking, the exhibition will undoubtedly attract new audiences to science. Complementing the artwork on show, Franziska will also be holding informal Meet the Artist sessions aimed primarily at a family audience.
‘The Art of Iridescence: Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder’ forms part of the British Science Festival, taking place in Birmingham from September 14th – 19th. For further information on the Festival log on to: www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/britishsciencefestival/
The Art of Iridescence is on display at the following venues:
1) Birmingham City University, School of Art, Margaret Street
2) University of Birmingham, Rotunda, Aston Webb Building
Exhibitions open: 14th - 19th Sept, Mon - Fri 10:00 - 17:00; Sat 10:00 -16:00; Sun 11:00 - 16:00
Talks by the artist and researcher Franziska Schenk:
The Art and Science of Iridescence:
15 Sept 17:30 - 18:30 Birmingham City University, School of Art, Margaret Street
17 Sept 14:00 - 16:00 University of Birmingham, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, (forms part of Local Innovations with global Impact event)
Meet the Artist sessions:
19th Sept 11:30 - 12:00 University of Birmingham, Rotunda, Aston Webb
Building
18th and 19th Sept 14:00 - 14:30 Birmingham City University, School of Art, Margaret Street
For further information and examples of artwork please log on to: www.biosciences.bham.ac.uk/artists-in-residence/