Courtesy of Wim L. Noorduin
5 minute lesson
Combining Geometry, Science, and Art to Create Crystal Nanoflowers
What can art the size of the width of a human hair teach us about science?
Looking around, we see geometry in nature everywhere. From the smallest structures to some of the largest, we find a world of beautiful patterns and shapes. So, how does nature make all of its beautiful structures?
Scientists Wim Nooduin and Joanna Aizenberg research the beauty of the microscopic world. Using chemistry they create microscopic crystals to build forms the world has never seen before. These beautiful crystal nanoflowers combine science and art into geometric sculpture.
Why It Matters
Geometry is in every corner of our universe, even the microscopic part. We are surrounded by beautiful examples of natural art and geometry. Think about the artistic complexity of a snowflake or the shape of a honeycomb. If we start to notice it, geometry is all around us.
Wim and Joanna’s work is particularly interesting because they take subjects like chemistry and geometry and combine them with the arts. This kind of creativity is important to thinking more innovatively about how new materials and structures could be used!
Let's Talk About It
Creators
Creators is VICE’s arts and culture platform, covering every aspect of the creative process.
Their mission is to make art more accessible to a wider audience with diverse voices reporting on emergent arts and artists. “From sculpture and light projections to street art and dance, we immerse ourselves in cultural hotbeds and travel to the far corners of the globe to explore the spectacle and color of making art today.”