Science vs. Art: the showdown in environmental studies

Lauren Anderson, Senior Research Project

Introduction

Initially when I went searching for any examples of art and science coexisting peacefully and mutually reinforcing one another in the field of conservation, ironically, I found nothing. Instead I stumbled upon a cultural trend that pushes the arts out of conservation or relegates them to the back burner. Good art that reinforces the interconnectedness of all life seems by these accounts to be in short supply.

The first example illustrates (no pun intended) a way in which science must trump art. There exists a small minority within the science trained in biology as well as art, using both these disciplines on a daily basis. They are scientific illustrators. People originally came to the field as artists who had a curiosity for science. Now more scientific illustrators come as scientists who have a flair for art. Their work is “the epitome of artistic realism… What they do is science, as well as art, and that balance is always tilted in favor of science” (Dawson, 1990). It is fascinating work, but in the end, science wins out over art in this field, which I think is a revealing insight that questions the purpose of art in educating scientists. Certainly we need detailed drawings of fish to familiarize students with the biological distinctions between species. But, perhaps there is also a place for more interpretive art in science textbooks to help students think about other dimensions of the natural phenomena they study.

This spring the debate over raising Minnesota state sales tax by a few fractions of a percentage point or designating this amount from current sales tax has garnered considerable media coverage within the state. Originally the bill was intended to provide funding for hunting and fishing habitats, water cleanup, parks and trails, and, much to the chagrin of outdoorsmen, the arts.

Science versus Art in E.S.

A Brief History of Nature Photography in the U.S.

Modern Functions of Nature Photography

The Photography of Jim Brandenburg
Noteworthy Images
The Influence of Place in Brandenburg photography
Brandenburg's Impact on Conservation
Conclusion
Resources and Methods
Home

Banning State Park (Sandstone, MN) would be among the many State Parks to benefit from state tax money but the DNR depends on photography to advertise the beauty of the parks and attract visitors.

A heated battle sprang up questioning the right of arts programs to be included with the more scientific conservation programs. Northfield Senator Tom Neuville (R) said, “Most of us support the arts in our communities, the arts theaters, the musical programs. Most of us attend it. But it doesn’t rise to a constitutional level. So, my message to sportsmen who’ve been working for years. I think you’ve been betrayed” (Pugmire, 2006, April 3).

Arts groups and the Minnesota Historical Society countered that they ought to be included. They are involved with nonprofits (including environmental groups) and much of their funding would go toward a “broad-based effort to protect the state’s quality of life – natural and cultural” (Brunswick, 2006, April 20). Larry Redmond, a lobbyist for Minnesota Citizens for Arts stated that “We in the arts community are proud of our waters…”

Some legislators offer a different view of the bill than Senator Neuville. Woodbury Representative Mark Charron (R) said that “Without the arts, the Twin Cities is a cold Des Moines. No disrespect intended. Without the arts Minnesota is a North Dakota without the missile silos” (Pugmire, 2005, April 25). Currently, both the House of Representatives and the Senate have approved bills that include scientific approaches to conservation and the arts but it was a heated fight to get there.

Other sources I found simply critiqued conventional art in the context of conservation. James Balog’s The Future of Nature (2004) presents the idea that “Many nature photographs carry an inherent implication that nature is outside the human condition – that we are looking at something we are not a part of” (p. 87). I agree with Balog when it comes to the most commercial forms of nature photography. When one opens a calendar from a bank or buys tourist brochures or views the background of an SUV advertisement, the sort of photographs that adorn the pages are sweeping, picturesque landscapes taken from afar. They do reinforce the notion that nature is distinct from humanity both in location and in feeling and market themselves well by offering a glimpse into the “beyond” for the everyday consumer who desires the feeling of looking into wilderness more than actually experiencing it personally. Even the SUV shown right is pictured in the foreground whereas the majority of the landscape is in the background, separate.

An advertisement for the 2006 Acura MDX is a good example of the panoramic landscapes that reinforce a separation between humans and nature.