I grew up in a house full of Math and Science. My dad, a USAF Officer, started his career as an Atmospheric Scientist and in the late 60’s switched to Computer Science. Like Maxwell Smart in the television sitcom, Get Smart, Dad would enter a little shed in the middle of a field in Nebraska and disappear into the depths of the earth.

Imagine what it looked like at 5 pm when 15 - 20 Air Force Scientists emerged out of this nondescript shed into the light of day. Although it was not quite as exciting as saving the world from KAOS, they did manage to create one of the first underground weather stations. Naturally, I rebelled and studied art. I always considered my dad to be a creative thinker but in my mind, Science and Art were on opposite ends of the pole. 

At the Museum of Glass, the Science of Art program is focused on establishing a connection between Science and Art. Some of the essential questions explored with participating students are: How are artists and scientists alike? Why do scientists conduct experiments? Why do artists conduct experiments? Perhaps first and foremost, that connection can be found in the arena of creative thought.

As Docents we recently had the opportunity to explore this connection alongside our student visitors. What I quickly discovered as a self-proclaimed artist and non-scientist was that learning about the science behind the artwork expanded my appreciation of the art in the galleries.

A short time ago I had eye surgery, which vastly improved my depth perception. Like this experience, attending the science lectures given by Sheldon Levin and walking through the galleries with Jan Wee gave a newfound fullness to my perception of the artwork. It’s like watching Get Smart in HD. (Wow guys, we live in a round world!) With this in mind and with thanks and apologies to Britta Echtle, SoA Program Coordinator, and Sheldon Levin and Jan Wee, our own beloved Docents/Science Educators, let us revisit some of what we learned.

Q1: What is light?

Light is a form of energy that travels through space in waves (electromagnetic radiation). It is created at the atomic level by the movement of an electron to a higher orbit and then back again. Visible light is only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Q2: How does light interact with glass?

Light travels through glass at a slower rate than in air or in a vacuum. Because of this, light slows down and is refracted  (bent) as it enters the glass object.

In transparent glass most of the light passes through or is transmitted, allowing us to see through the glass; in translucent glass light travels in a distorted path and is diffused; and in opaque glass light is absorbed or reflected. In the galleries, Jan Wee illustrated these concepts by directing a small flashlight at the Transparent/Translucent/Opaque objects in the Contrasts exhibition.

External surface reflection: If the glass surface is smooth, such as a flat mirror, light will reflect back at the same angle at which it hit the surface (angle of incidence = angle of reflection) If the surface is rough, the light is scattered or diffused.

Q3: Why does a diamond sparkle?

Light travels through a diamond even slower than it travels through glass. Because of this, the light is scattered and reflected internally creating the sparkle of light we associate with diamonds. “Light as a Fly” in the Contrasts exhibition illustrates this concept very nicely as light is bounced off the multiple surfaces of the clear cane used to create the dragonfly/vessel form.

Q4: What is color?

Visible light is the small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see. In 1666 Isaac Newton showed that white light is composed of what he called the “color spectrum” (consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) by shining light through prisms. We know that white light travels through glass at a slower rate than in air. Because of thier different frequencies, each color travels (bends) differently through the prism.

The receptors in our eyes (cones) register red, blue and green light. The combination of signals received is interpreted by the brain as a wide range of hues. Red, blue and green light are called the Additive Primary Colors because by adding the three colors together we end up with white light. (A very simplified explanation, but it is very important to note that there is a distinct difference between the Additive Primary Colors of light and the Subtracted Primary Colors of pigment) The color we see is the color that is reflected or transmitted (as in the case of transparent colored glass) by the molecules in the pigments of the object we are observing. All the other wavelengths (hues) of light are absorbed.

Glass is colored with different metal oxides, which are the same elements used to pigment paint.

Glass Colorant Examples:

Magnesium Oxide –Purple

Cobalt carbonate–Dark blue

Chromium Oxide–Green

Selenium–Yellow

Cadmium sulfide and selenium–Orange

Gold chloride–Ruby red

Iron–Greens and brown