Polymath

??‘Study the science of art and the art of science’ - Leonardo da VinciPolymath: a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning Oxford DictionaryArtists: Susan Aldworth, Andrew Carnie, Annie Cattrell, Katharine Dowson, Rachel Gadsden, David Marron, Dan Peyton, Helen Pynor and Nina Sellars.GV Art’s latest exhibition brings together ‘polymath’ works that create synergies and connect disparate ideas and different schools of thoughts. From David Marron’s Nervous Tissue installation, to Susan Aldworth’s Reassembling the Self lithographs, to Rachel Gadsden, whose Unlimited Global Alchemy will be presented as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.Reassembling the Self , a new suite of 14 lithographs by Susan Aldworth made at the Curwen Studio under the guidance of the legendary master printer Stanley Jones, is the culmination of her artist residency at the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University, working on a collaborative project with patients and scientists to piece together some of the narratives that inform the diagnosis and experiences of schizophrenia. Aldworth will show two of these new works for the first time at Polymath.As co-curator Dr Jonathan Hutt observes, ‘A polymath doesn’t look at what is there but uses existing knowledge to create something new and dynamic’. ‘The polymath is almost a discipline in itself’, explainsDavid Marron. ‘It aids a sensibility in attaining a reasoned level of thought.’The most famous polymath is, of course, Leonardo da Vinci, who personified the concept of ‘Renaissance Humanism’ — which held that, to realise their full potential, a human had to acquire the widest spectrum of knowledge — and was the ultimate ‘Renaissance Man’. But other polymaths have shaped the evolution of the world throughout history, including Aristotle (384-322BC), Galileo Galilei (1564-1624) and Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Experiments

Experiments is the first in a series of unique, exhibitionscurated by Artakt with GV Art. It brings together thework of five artists whose practice develops with closeand productive collaborations with scientists. In a rareopportunity for professionals of each discipline to developa relationship, with each other, the artists and scientistsexplore the other’s productive processes, investigatingthe mythology of ‘neat laboratory worker’ versa ‘chaotic,creative artist.’With collaborations between the artists and scientists,Annie Cattrell with Stan Cornford, Peter Cockrell and ProfMorten L Kringelbach; Andrew Carnie and Paul Broks,Chris Drury with Dr Lynn Fenstermaker and Hugh Corr,Katharine Dowson with Dr Gabriele Jordan and AnneBrodie with Simon Park the artists and scientists experimentwith aspects of neurology, meteorology, optics andmicrobiology

Coming of Age - The Art and Science of Aging

Increasing life expectancy in the UK is one of the greatest changes to affect our society in the last 200 years. Over 65s in Britain now outnumber those under 16, with over 85s the fastest growing part of the population. Currently life expectancy is increasing by two or more years each decade, or five hours for every day you live, with no sign of slowing down. The average life expectancy for a child born now is 80.This exhibition draws together a range of historic and contemporary artworks showing the many different ways artists have examined the effects, the wisdom and the achievements of ageing. It explores the phenomenon of increased longevity and celebrates the triumphs and vitality of older age.The exhibition is part of a year-long programme of events organised by Newcastle University to launch the ‘Changing Age’ initiative, spotlighting the challenges facing society as we live longer. During 2010, three artists, Andrew Carnie, Annie Cattrell and Jennie Pedley, observed the work of scientists within the University’s Institute for Ageing and Health, one of the world’s leading research centres in this area. The artists responded to this ground-breaking research into the ageing process by producing a new body of specially commissioned artworks.To listen to a podcast with the exhibition curator Lucy Jenkins, artist Jennie Pedley and collaborating scientist Glynn Nelson please click on the link above John Coplan's Fingers which is on the right hand side of the page