Crossing Over: Where Art and Science MeetCrossing Over, the latest of three collaborations between scholar Stephen Jay Gould and artist Rosamond Wolff Purcell, brings together thought-provoking essays and uncannily beautiful photographs to disprove the popular notion that art and science exist in an antagonistic relationship. The essays and photographs collected here present art and science in conversation, rather than in opposition. As Gould writes in his preface, although the two disciplines may usually communicate in different dialects, when juxtaposed they strikingly reflect upon and enhance one another. Working together, Purcell's photographs and Gould's scientific musings speak to us about ourselves and our world in a hybrid language richer than either could command on its own. In an essay on individuality, for instance, Gould looks through the lens of evolutionary theory to address the controversial issue of cloning and the often misguided fears it evokes. As a society that exalts the concept of the individual, Gould argues, we sometimes fail to recognize that clones walk among us. Identical twins represent "the greatest of all challenges to our concept of individuality." Rosamond Purcell's photograph depicting the famous Siamese conjoined twins Eng and Chang conveys an eerie feeling that cannot be captured in words. Through its unique combination of words and photographs, Crossing Over prompts us to ponder not only the basis of the false dichotomy between art and science, but also the distinction of mind and nature, and of all humanly imposed categories of order. Gould and Purcell's work convinces the reader that a provocative interplay between art and science is not only possible, but inevitable and necessaryas well. |
Contents
Mind and Nature Mental Biases 85 | 14 |
Dimension and Distinction | 19 |
Inside Dimensions | 21 |
Copyright | |
35 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
ammonites animals appear beautiful become bilateral birds body build called century chambered chambered nautilus clone collection common complex construction counterpart creatures crinoids culture death depicted distinct entire equal essay evolutionary evolved example extinction face fact famous final fishes five flexibility follow fossil ground grow halves head human Human clones identified illustration impose individual internal label later leave legs limited living look lovely major mammals Meissen porcelain million Museum nature nature's never objects organisms pair particular photograph physical pieces plates preferences preserved produced provides reason record remains represent reveal rock scale shells shows side single skeletons skull slab species specimen stone stories structure symmetry teeth tell theme thing tion twins unique universal usual vertebrates
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | Crossing Over: Where Art and Science Meet |
| Authors | Stephen Jay Gould, Rosamond Wolff Purcell |
| Photographs by | Rosamond Wolff Purcell |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Three Rivers Press, 2000 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Nov 15, 2007 |
| ISBN | 060980586X, 9780609805862 |
| Length | 159 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |