Re: Talking vs Doing

[P3D Peter Davis <pd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> At 12:51 PM -0700 10/10/97, P3D Brian Reynolds wrote:
> [deleted]
> >
> >I agree that artists (and others) have been saying that scientists (or
> >technologists) do not appreciate the world from an artistic viewpoint
> >(or have artistic abilities) for quite some time, but I disagree that
> >scientific presentations do not contain artistic qualities.  If that
> >were so scientific papers would simply be tables of numbers and
> >perhaps a few equations.
> [deleted]

All generalizations (including this one) are false.  There are MANY
people working in scientific fields who have deeply artistic urges and
aesthetics.  Moreover, there are many artists who are, or have become,
scientists and technologists.  They want to understand the chemistry
of paints, the physics of sculpture and architecture, and the
technology of computer graphics.  I would very very wary of any
assertion that scientists and engineers have no artistic sense, or
vice versa.

> Actually, I think this can vary somewhat from field to field & place to
> place.  I know some scientists who feel that if your slides look nice your
> science probably isn't that good.
> 
> It used to be that you took your data to a graphic arts person to make into
> figures, but what with the ubiquity of computers & drawing programs it's
> getting harder & harder to justify shelling out the money to pay someone
> else to do it...

I realize this is WAY off the 3D topic, but I couldn't let it go by ...

This is exactly the problem.  Computer and drawing programs DON'T make
design decisions.  Yes, the can eliminate the need for the mechanical
abilities of drawing, but they can NOT (at this time) design an
effective presentation that communicates information.  You might just
as well say the ubiquity of compasses and rulers make graphic artists
unnecessary. 

In fact, the ubiquity of computers, and of the Web, make good design
MORE important, not less.  With the complete glut of visual
information that's bombarding us, it's getting harder and harder to
get anyone's attention through visual design, let alone to communicate
information.

-pd (engineer/designer/illustrator)

--------
                                    Peter Davis
                             http://world.std.com/~pd/

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