From Molecules to Masterpieces
"I was very surprised by how much chemistry and art overlap, even though now it makes perfect sense to me that there is no art without chemistry."
Studio art major Molly Wiebe '04 never thought chemistry class would be among her favorites. Of course, Wiebe had never taken a course like Chem 198, "Art, Color and Chemistry." An experiment within the Connections framework of Wheaton's new curriculum, Chem 198 sought to strengthen for art students the relationship between chemical process and artistic endeavor. That connection, according to Wiebe, helped to eliminate previous frustrations with chemistry because she was able to apply scientific concepts to an area that is familiar and enjoyable. "I guess I owe most of that to the professor, though. It seemed like she would drop anything in order to educate both the class and herself on all of the topics we covered."
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Laura Muller took some time away from her sabbatical this semester to discuss the planning and research that went into developing "Art, Color and Chemistry" and her hopes for the course in the future.
What were some of the challenges in teaching "Art, Color and Chemistry"?
"There are so many! I had taken both art history and studio in college and my mom always took us to art museums, but there was quite a bit I had to learn last summer. I spent the summer immersed in books about technique and chemical processes (for example, how ceramic glazes are formulated). I found I knew much of the information in a somewhat different context. It was quite nice to have a reason to run out to the Museum of Fine Arts, however.
"Because of the knowledge deficit I felt, I purposefully decided to have only art students in the course for this first run. This way, I was able to rely on them to teach me about their art and I could fill in the blanks about the science. I scheduled presentations to be done by teams of students at appropriate times in the class to make sure that I challenged them to teach me (as well as the rest of the class) what we needed to know in art. For example, Christina Miles '04 and Zachary Blumstein '03 did a presentation on preparing a canvas for painting in which they demonstrated how to stretch a canvas, then a la Julia Child, showed how to gesso a stretched canvas, etc. They talked about why each step was necessary (gesso, for example, glues the linen fibers together to hold the paint better) and then I talked about how glue actually works.
"Another challenge for me was the combined lecture/lab approach. Each class had some component of a lecture and some kind of hands-on activity. On the day we learned about the three components of ceramic glaze--flux, refractory element and silica--we used the melting point apparatus to show how the melting point of silica is lowered by the flux by melting naphthalene (moth balls) and a mixture of naphthalene and a different substance (melting point lowering is universal). The challenge was coming up with enough of these kinds of activities to keep the students challenged while teaching them something they needed to know."
Did anything about the outcomes of the course surprise you?
"Everything and nothing! The students were fabulous! They were so good and kind and interested and smart and motivated and.... They did great work. By the end of the semester I could not believe how many different topics we touched upon and how well they synthesized them. On their final exam, they were asked to discuss three scientific methods of authenticating a hypothetical gift to Wheaton's permanent collection and they used information from the whole of the semester. The final projects and poster session (pictured) were also beautiful. I wanted them to get the taste of the scientific method in a real way and to think a little bit about how scientists do their job. I think we all learned just how much art relies on scientific knowledge (although most of the knowledge was not produced by scientists) and just how much the act of painting is like the act of doing an experiment.
"The enthusiasm for this course amazed me. Even alumnae/i have embraced it--I showed members of the President's Commission how to make paint (with help from several students) and I will be speaking to the Cape Cod Club in April."
What's in the future for "Art, Color and Chemistry"?
"I have petitioned the Educational Policy Committee to approve this as a regular class. 'Art History 101' will be a co-requisite because some knowledge of art is necessary in the class. We decided to take this approach so students in any major can take it.
"I plan to go to a National Science Foundation course on chemistry and art in May, and I am going to apply to go to a course on materials science in art over the summer. I would very much like to explore some research[~]in addition to the touch-up work Cory, Elizabeth, Jay and Professor Claudia Fieo and I are going to do on the print project (see box below)[~]in the area of art media."
How can we learn more about art, color and chemistry?
"Please suggest that everyone read Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. It discusses how paints were made in the 1600s."
New Advances in Printmaking
Bonded by a common interest in printmaking, Elizabeth Kostrubala '02, Jay Brancaleone '02 and Cory Lehrhoff '03 set out to find new resists for etching metal plates in printmaking. The traditional resist, asphaltum, is costly and considered a hazardous material, both good reasons to search for an alternative. The group tested several common household products, including adhesives, nail polish, Rustoleum paint and diaper-rash cream. The team concluded that 7800 glue and nail polish showed the best results for etching on zinc plates, and epoxy, 7800 glue and Super Glue were most effective on copper plates. After further experimentation, the students, along with professors Muller and Fieo, might consider publishing their findings.
