Papers by Maria Fernanda Cardoso
The following account of the integration of art and science in scientific modelling was originall... more The following account of the integration of art and science in scientific modelling was originally part of my practice-based doctoral research based on the large-scale installation The Museum of Copulatory Organs (MoCO)
As a visual artist and visual thinker, I believe in the power of images and objects to communicate concepts. As the old adage goes, ‘an image is worth a thousand words’. But as a sculptor, I also believe in the power of three-dimensional models, not only to create and embody knowledge, but also to trigger high-order thinking[1] in others, (including the maker herself).
I want to propose that making things is essential in research and in the production of new knowledge. I will argue that three-dimensional models can enhance our understanding (of both art and science). They are essential in the making of culture in general, and in advancing the transference of scientific knowledge and research to a wider field. In a profound sense, I want to show that making is a form of thinking. Through the process of making, we come to understand, to create and to communicate simultaneously. “To see, observe and make things visible is one of the great challenges of science”[2] writes Michael Mosley, a science historian and physician. The same words can be used to describe the great challenges of art. Artists often use their perceptual skills and ability to create things in order to make things visible, tangible or available to the senses.
My interest in this PhD dissertation is on genitalic form. My aim is to discover why is there is ... more My interest in this PhD dissertation is on genitalic form. My aim is to discover why is there is so much diversity and complexity in copulatory organs, and to find the best way to present my findings to a general public. I will do this by way of a studio-based research that makes a contribution to our understanding of complex natural forms that are routinely studied by evolutionary biologists. As a contemporary artist concerned with the relationship between the human and natural world, I ground my research squarely in the naturalist tradition, focusing my attention on the ways that early collections of natural history and taxonomy help us to investigate this topic in a rich and complex manner. My research also belongs to the tradition of comparative anatomy, which studied patterns of form and of embryology, which studied the development of form. Comparative anatomy studies the development of morphology, and the anatomical and scientific models developed by this field provide excellent examples of how science and art were once fully integrated. The research conducted in this PhD also belongs to the tradition of evolutionary theory, which seeks to explain the origin and purpose of genital form and function, and the hidden forces behind sexual selection.
The Museum of Copulatory Organs (MoCo) is the practice based artwork that provides the embodied knowledge of aesthetics and form that I will describe and analyse throughout this written component of the PhD. It was presented in the 2012 Biennale of Sydney to an audience of 250,000 visitors.
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Papers by Maria Fernanda Cardoso
As a visual artist and visual thinker, I believe in the power of images and objects to communicate concepts. As the old adage goes, ‘an image is worth a thousand words’. But as a sculptor, I also believe in the power of three-dimensional models, not only to create and embody knowledge, but also to trigger high-order thinking[1] in others, (including the maker herself).
I want to propose that making things is essential in research and in the production of new knowledge. I will argue that three-dimensional models can enhance our understanding (of both art and science). They are essential in the making of culture in general, and in advancing the transference of scientific knowledge and research to a wider field. In a profound sense, I want to show that making is a form of thinking. Through the process of making, we come to understand, to create and to communicate simultaneously. “To see, observe and make things visible is one of the great challenges of science”[2] writes Michael Mosley, a science historian and physician. The same words can be used to describe the great challenges of art. Artists often use their perceptual skills and ability to create things in order to make things visible, tangible or available to the senses.
The Museum of Copulatory Organs (MoCo) is the practice based artwork that provides the embodied knowledge of aesthetics and form that I will describe and analyse throughout this written component of the PhD. It was presented in the 2012 Biennale of Sydney to an audience of 250,000 visitors.
As a visual artist and visual thinker, I believe in the power of images and objects to communicate concepts. As the old adage goes, ‘an image is worth a thousand words’. But as a sculptor, I also believe in the power of three-dimensional models, not only to create and embody knowledge, but also to trigger high-order thinking[1] in others, (including the maker herself).
I want to propose that making things is essential in research and in the production of new knowledge. I will argue that three-dimensional models can enhance our understanding (of both art and science). They are essential in the making of culture in general, and in advancing the transference of scientific knowledge and research to a wider field. In a profound sense, I want to show that making is a form of thinking. Through the process of making, we come to understand, to create and to communicate simultaneously. “To see, observe and make things visible is one of the great challenges of science”[2] writes Michael Mosley, a science historian and physician. The same words can be used to describe the great challenges of art. Artists often use their perceptual skills and ability to create things in order to make things visible, tangible or available to the senses.
The Museum of Copulatory Organs (MoCo) is the practice based artwork that provides the embodied knowledge of aesthetics and form that I will describe and analyse throughout this written component of the PhD. It was presented in the 2012 Biennale of Sydney to an audience of 250,000 visitors.