People forget that many of the great 19th century Romantic painters in America, some of whom were exponents of the Hudson River School, created their work on the frontier as scientific documentarians.  From George Catlin and Karl Bodmer to Titian Peele, Thomas Moran and Alfred Jacob Miller, they flooded into the West with paint kits and sketchbooks in hand to help provide a visual inventory of their surroundings.

What North Americans call "Western" art actually has its underpinnings rooted in the pursuit of knowledge springing out of the Enlightenment. 

Those who dismiss the huge influence of science in shaping fine art, and who point to naturalistic illustration as being prosaic, unsophisticated and a lesser expression of aesthetic wonder, are ignoring history.

Every winter, the American Association for the Advancement of Science hosts an annual meeting that brings together many of the brightest thinkers in the world on topics ranging from medicine and physics to geology and environmental study.  Founded in 1848, the AAAS, which publishes the journal Science, has represented the zeitgeist when it comes to identifying the scientific issues that shape American society and indeed its culture. 


In recent years, there's been a push to restore the prominence of art in the conscious expression of science.  And this year the spark of a catalyst is evident.  By clicking here, readers are treated to a new virtual Science Art exhibit, Bringing Symposia To Life, that accompanies the opening of the annual AAAS confab.

There are some 39 images in the show created by many prominent wildlife artists.  The artists include:  Denman, Crouter, Bateman, Jessen, Klebesadel, Brest van Kempen, Saunois, Lee, Harrison, Miller, Pepin, Evans, Stone, Burge, Voss-Andreae, Hicks, Kitler,  Agusta, Winters, Dodge, McManiman, Singer, Kopeschny, and Milligan.

The topics include Sustainability, Science and Society, Land and Oceans, Human Biology and Health, Global Collaboration, Energy, Emerging Science and Technology, Education, Climate Change, and Brain and Behavior.  It's a cool show.

Moreover, it's also an opportunity for artists to become aquainted with the mission of a relatively new organization, Science Art-Nature.