The Transition is a site-specific sculpture that tells the story of how much marine food webs depending on the small animals at the bottom of the foot web and how climate change affects marine life. Our goal is to show the public the importance of plankton in sustaining the system and how humans are actually connected to them through the food we eat. Both Catherine and Julie are interested in the idea of communicating science with the general public through the interaction of art.

“We shared very similar goals; using art to break down the perceived entry-level to teach and understand science. Together, we were able to take both of our skills and work out how to visually reframe food web data to explore three important concepts.”

Catherine Nowakowski

“The first design constraint we applied was adjusting the width of each piece to represent the size of the organism and using the height to show how much energy is transferred through the food web. This approach creates an inverted triangle shape that feels unstable; that dynamic accomplishes our second goal of fostering an appreciation for how the smallest organisms are supporting the system above them, and are therefore important to all involved despite their size.”

“Although we tried to match the amount of ink (energy) with the actual data, we found that the more interesting results were produced, the less we feared experiments and failures.

In science, most of everything is under control. But in art, sometimes you have to be open to unexpectedness, which can lead you to more exciting outcomes. And in science, it is crucial to convey as accurate and detailed information as possible. However, in art, it is essential to give impactful ideas to viewers. During the process, we have noticed that science and art can lead to results far more creative and beyond imagination when we can fill the gap while respecting each other's differences rather than one subordinated to the other.”

Eunhyung Julie Chung

“The ocean has always been my first and most important source of inspiration throughout my life and getting to explore it through the lens of art and science have been equally significant in building my appreciation for how complex and beautiful it is. As a Ph.D. student in science, I have made a commitment to diving deep into the mechanisms and processes behind how it all works. And while that commitment is a special thing, it has often felt very unbalanced from where my initial motivation for doing research originated, out on the water and in art classes full of ocean life.

Throughout school, I have often been told to put art on the back burner, or have had it laughed off entirely, and to put my head down and focus on math and science. Vis-a-Thon is one of the first times I have had a dedicated and supported space to bring that balance back into my work with the ocean. By collaborating on a team and participating in a larger program, Vis-a-Thon has provided an example for what it looks like to bring artists and scientists together in an academic context and the vast variety of results our combined efforts can produce.”

Catherine Nowakowski