Book Review<\/p>\n
If the world is to achieve ecological, political and economic sustainability, it is essential to establish a \u201csustainabity culture.\u201d The urgent need to generate transdisciplinary means to safeguard and facilitate contemporary human creation is a fundamental notion of the art science initiative.<\/p>\n
The art science text in hand represents a call to artists, scientists and art scientists toward unification beyond simple disciplinary collision, collusion and compromise.\u00a0\u00a0The art scientists interviewed within promote inter- and intra-disciplinary synthesis through practical and pragmatic methods whether these be theoretical and\/or factual in their application.\u00a0\u00a0As a result, the text provides a conceptual guide for those seeking co-evolutionary artistic and scientific discernment at the bleeding edge of new compound perception and cognition.<\/p>\n
This topical survey and evaluation of the state of \u201cart science,\u201d top-down and bottom-up, is not constrained by the usual tenets of specialized approaches.\u00a0\u00a0Nor is it ingenuous in its attempt to be as all-inclusive as possible where, for example, techno-cultural issues involve government and financial directives.<\/p>\n
The editors provide pithy interviews with prime international consultants like Raymond Saner.\u00a0\u00a0Saner identifies four systemic failures which negatively affect the contributions of art science.\u00a0\u00a0These are market, government, academic and civic \u2013 failures which can be remedied by applying appropriate policies.<\/p>\n
Other contributors also represent a field of techno-cultural facilitators rather than agitators.\u00a0\u00a0For example, Anatole Kaletsky suggests that capitalism is \u201cnot a static set of institutions but an evolutionary system that reinvents and reinvigorates itself through crisis.\u201d\u00a0 Hence, what is proactively proffered here is a mindset for \u201cdemocratizing science\u201d with \u201chorizontal relationships [among] peoples\u201d as well as a humanitarian approach to technological R&D.<\/p>\n
As K-soul puts it, in the search for \u201cthe fundamental structure of the human and its universal nature\u201d or \u201cthe foundation of our humanity\u201d in a \u201cuniversal language . . . scientific knowledge is essential to mastering this language.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Sunghoon Kim is also quick to point out that \u201cengaging with the arts is becoming an increasingly important part of being a good scientist.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nothing less than a new \u201caesthetics\u201d emerges from art science collaborations.\u00a0\u00a0Ruedi Stoop states enthusiastically, \u201cAesthetics emerge where complexity [disciplinary interaction specifically and generally] challenges the human mind or intellect.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He adds, \u201cDepriving the human mind of being able to have [aesthetic experience] means to dehumanize it.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0And he concludes, \u201cAesthetics is the opposite of a totalitarian view.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Specialty arts and sciences have often inadvertently proposed and officiated over various totalitarian views, while the transdisciplinary, which includes the spirituality of moral and ethical reflection, attempts and partially succeeds in moving the heart and mind into the deeper humanity discovered through creative edification.<\/p>\n
Creation is edification.\u00a0\u00a0It is order out of chaos.\u00a0\u00a0It is perpetually unique.\u00a0\u00a0It is order crystalized at the bleeding edge.\u00a0\u00a0It is pan-universal.\u00a0\u00a0And, as this text most<\/p>\n
F. Scott Taylor,
\nSubtle Technologies Toronto Canada<\/p>\n
Title:
\nOn Science, On Art, On Society: Interviews with Innovators
\nEditors
\nArthur Clay, Digital Art Weeks, Switzerland
\nTimothy J. Senior, Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK
\nMonika Rut, Virtuale Switzerland
\nPublisher: 6
\nRiver Publications
\nISBN:
\n9788793379121<\/p>\n