Course Outline
YSCN0015
Art and Physics
- Course coordinator
- Mr. T.C. Boyce
- Course size
- 3 credits
- Quota
- 200
- Aim
-
The course is aimed at artistically-inclined students who would like to know more about the New Physics and scientifically-inclined students who would like to have a framework to appreciate Art, and anyone who is fascinated by both.
- Contents
- The basic premise of the course is that science and art are both legitimate investigations into the nature of reality; they are different, but complementary facets of a single description of the world. As such, the course traces parallel developments in science and art throughout history from the early Greeks to the modern day, revealing the common creative interplay between the two and the extraordinary way in which art often tends to anticipate the scientific revisions of reality. From early Greek sculptors to Andy Warhol, from Aristotle to Einstein, the course covers the major revolutions in science and art, glimpsing the achievements of the leading proponents in each. Special attention will be given to the concepts of space and time and to the use of perspective and colour.
- Prerequisites
- None.
- Teaching
- The course consists of a combination of lecture presentations, discussion-tutorials and occasional videos. Students are expected to participate actively and present material in discussion-tutorial sessions.
Visits will also be arranged for any relevant art exhibitions that may be available during the semester. There may also be an optional field-trip, depending on student interest.
For further details on teaching arrangements, refer to the teaching schedule.
- Duration
- One semester (second semester).
- Assessment
- One written examination (40% weighting), course assignments (40% weighting) and participation in discussion-tutorial sessions (20%).
- Textbook
- Leonard Shlain: Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time and Light (William Morrow, 1991)
- References
- E.H. Gombrich: The Story of Art (Phaidon, 1995)
R.G. Tansey & F.S. Kleiner: Art Through the Ages (Harcourt Brace, 1996)
Matthew Collings: This is Modern Art (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999)
Hugh Honour & John Fleming: A World History of Art 7th edition (Laurence King, 2005)
Other material, especially works of art relevant to the course, will be made available on the course homepage.
YSCN0015 Art & Physics Homepage
YSCN0015 Art & Physics Poster