Artist Story: Peter N. Gray

"Transcription," Peter Gray. (Koehnline Museum of Art)

As an artist, I attempt to share my admiration for molecular structures and functions by conveying a sense of their beauty and harmony. For scientists, aesthetics is not foreign to the process of discovery. The works of many philosophers, artists, and scientists (as far back as we have records) demonstrate a relationship between research and the search for beauty, between Art and Science, between artistic creation and the molecular structures of the living world.

I was studying and creating art before I considered becoming a scientist, although there was no focus to my subjects or technique. As I started along the scientific path, my art progressed with three discrete concepts. I never thought about this until recently, and, in retrospect, these bodies of work are very similar to those I pursue today: science, the human experience, and mathematical derivations. My first five months of postgraduate science study generated more art than science. I completed three large paintings: one was a conceptual work depicting a virus structure as viewed by an electron microscope; one was representational, showing an African slave and a symbol of the Black Power movement; and the third was a geometric painting. My work is now approximately 75% science-derived.

My audience is not limited to those curious about the intimate structure of living organisms. I believe the work should be interesting to those not initially looking for a scientific connection. A bonus for me, however, is when the viewer either recognizes the concept or asks about the elemental parallels with something scientific. My recent pieces are based loosely on the central dogma of genetic expression including mutation, replication of DNA, transcription from DNA to messenger RNA, and translation of RNA into proteins. Two additional large pieces use the concepts of membrane structure, binding sites, and virus structure to introduce the concept of environmental capture of nutrients and unwanted chemicals (i.e., metals from the soil or water).

There is an issue that arises when you exhibit science in art: Viewers become more interested in an explanation of the science than the experience of the art. The same people who, at a social gathering, will stand in silence and/or walk away when you tell them you’re a scientist will probe you in conversation to learn how or why you made a particular painting or sculpture.

I had a curator visit my studio recently to see a specific piece for a national exhibit. After looking at it suspended in my studio, the curator stated “It really sings,” and then asked me about the scientific derivation of the work. As I started to offer a brief explanation, the curator wanted more and more details and then said the science was getting too complicated. My reply was that the visit was prompted by the visual aesthetic of the work, not the science, and while I appreciated the interest in the background, the piece actually spoke for itself—otherwise, this person wouldn’t be here to look at it. In other words, in this context, I am an artist, not a science educator. The science is a jumping-off point for me. For some artists it may be internal angst, while for others it may be replicative processes, or new technologies. 



The sculptor Dustin Yellin expresses his initiating thought as “There is nothing as extraordinary as the rhythms, forms, and patterns found in nature.” I must add that as artists we must do more than replicate what we see. We must also enhance, reinforce, and/or challenge. I feel obligated to inspire in the viewer a sense of recognition or curiosity. For instance, adults who've seen my piece Complex/Simplex interpret it as a volcano or landscape, while teens see it as a herpes sore (the actual design impetus). Either way, it generates interest.



My driving force is to create works that are aesthetically interesting and resonate with the viewer on a personal and scientific level. I would like my work to teach something new or start a conversation. During the past ten to 15 years, there has been a growing interest in the intersection of Art and Science (ArtScience), to the point that several universities, businesses, and artist collectives have created programs and opportunities that integrate the disciplines for both business and artistic purposes. Arts & Science Collaborations, Inc., (ASCI), is one of the best and more diverse sources for those interested in considering or pursuing an integrated approach. Another new source is the Linkedin group Scientist Artist Collaborations. Locally, several science institutions and colleges have art in science programs or groups. Loyola offers a specific course in this area, and UIC has a degree program in scientific illustration, as well as art collaborations with some of the imaging labs. Likewise, Northwestern University has several artist-scientists in the materials sciences, such as nanotechnology, and the University of Chicago offers a program that exhibits ArtScience works by students and faculty from UC and Argonne National Labs. This is not a complete list by any means, nor does it include the many advance ArtScience programs and opportunities in Europe, Asia, and Australia.



As David Edwards, a biomedical engineer and artist, says: “Art and Science may have two distinguishable kinds of creative processes, but we need them to merge to be effective innovators. We have become a world of hybrids: artists as scientists, scientists as artists, and interdependency of the two.”

Peter N. Gray received training in art and graphics at the Delaware Art Institute and a New York graphics design firm, earned a Bachelor of Arts & Science from the University of Delaware, a Master of Science from the Northwestern University Medical School, and a Ph.D. in biomedicine from The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the M. D. Anderson Tumor Institute in Houston, Texas. In addition, he’s completed a two-year residency at the CNRS in Marseille, France. He works at Metal-i-Genics Studio and teaches a special Genetics and Sculpture program in a Chicago public school. Peter is an Illinois Road Scholar, a participating member of Chicago Sculpture International, the International Sculpture Center, and ASCI, the Arts & Science Collaboration, Inc.