Expressing Chemistry through art.

The United Nations has declared 2011, the International year of Chemistry, as a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well bieng of humankind.    To mark and celebrate this I am involved with a printmaking project that has been sponsored by the RACI (Royal Australian Chemical Institute).   The periodic table of elements is the most fundamental rescource used by chemists.  It provides a useful framework to classify, systematize and compare all of the many different forms of chemical behaviour.   The project involves 37 Tasmanian printmakers.   We have been randomly allotted 3 of the 112 elements from the periodic table to portray by means of traditional 15 x 15 cm print.   An edition of 15 bleed prints  has to be produced for each element.   

  At the end of the project all 112 prints will form the full periodic table and will be on permanent display at the RACI head office in Melbourne and New Zealand whilst the other editions may tour nationally.   A poster will also be created to be distributed to Australian  schools.   It’s  exciting to be involved with this educational project.    

My elements are Selenium (Se 34), Indium (In 49) and Chromium (Cr 24). Over the last few weeks,  I have been busy researching my elements, designing my images, creating the plates and  proofing.  Expressing chemistry through art has been quite a challenge.  I have chosen to make 2 plate drypoint collographs for all three elements.    Stay tuned for web links to this project.      Snippets of  detailsof work in progress follow……….

                                 

13th August 2011……    Update………The periodic table has been launched and is about to go on tour.    Check out     http://www.raci.org.au/raci-news/periodic-table-on-show-launch    &  http://www.raci.org.au/periodic-table-on-show)

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~ by Jo Sculthorp on January 30, 2011.