Abstract

Abstract

The role of glass has been fundamental to the development of science in the West and is has been argued that it has been the use, and knowledge of glass - through access to experienced glass makers in the West, which has lead to the hegemony of western science, ultimately overtaking China whose scientific knowledge at the time far exceeded the West. Glass makers could make the glass lenses needed for microscopic research and for subsequent telescopes which lead to the groundbreaking discoveries and understanding of the stars, the use of glass rod as an accurate measuring stick for the first OS maps, the use of glass as laboratory equipment, the use of glass in communication glass fibre cables, and glass based materials of which the space shuttle was constructed.

In 2018, it will be the 50th anniversary of the first making of the Powers of Ten film by designer and artist couple Ray and Charles Eames. This was ahead of its time in visualising the correlation between the microscopic and the macroscopic (such as micro biology, quantum physics, astronomy…). It is also the anniversary of the first Moon landing in December 1969; an exploration, which had huge cultural impact, captured in the ‘apollonian’ worldview, embodied by the Blue Marble image.

Glass is of course also a great material through which to explore artistic ideas and as such has been the material of material of choice for many art and science collaborations. The case studies of various artist’s work of will be used as a vehicle to demonstrate of how glass has been used effectively in an artist scientist collaboration