Biomimetics, color, and the arts

Schenk, Franziska (2015) Biomimetics, color, and the arts. In: Bioinspiration, Biomimetics, and Bioreplication 2015, 9 March 2015 through 11 March 2015, San Diego; United States.

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Abstract

Color as dramatic, dynamic and dazzling as the iridescent hues on the wings of certain butterflies has never been encountered in the art world. Unlike and unmatched by the chemical pigments of the artists' palette, this changeable color is created by transparent, colorless nanostructures that, as with prisms, diffract and reflect light to render spectral color visible. Until now, iridescent colors, by their very nature, have defied artists' best efforts to fully capture these rainbow hues. Now, for the first time, the artist and researcher Franziska Schenk employs latest nature-inspired color-shift technology to actually simulate the iridescence of butterflies and beetles on canvas. Crucially, studying the ingenious ways in which a range of such displays are created by insects has provided the artist with vital clues on how to adapt and adopt these challenging optical nano-materials for painting. And indeed, after years of meticulous and painstaking research both in the lab and studio, the desired effect is achieved. The resulting paintings, like an iridescent insect, do in fact fluctuate in perceived color - depending on the light and viewing angle. In tracing the artist's respective biomimetic approach, the paper not only provides an insight into the new color technology's evolution and innovative artistic possibilities, but also suggests what artists can learn from nature. © 2015 SPIE.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Identification Number:	10.1117/12.2084302
Dates:	Date Event January 2015 Published
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Biomimetics, Biophotonics, Color, Fine art, Iridescence, Optical devises, Painting, Special effect pigments, Biomimetic processes, Biomimetics, Painting, Photonics, Bio photonics, Effect pigments, Fine arts, Iridescence, Optical devises, Color
Subjects:	CAH25 - design, and creative and performing arts > CAH25-01 - creative arts and design > CAH25-01-05 - others in creative arts and design
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts, Design and Media > College of Art and Design
Depositing User:	Hussen Farooq
Date Deposited:	15 Nov 2016 13:56
Last Modified:	03 Mar 2022 15:59
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/1527

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