GEOLOGY AS A SUBJECT FOR ADVANCED PAINTING STUDENTS; RESULTS FROM THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION AT THE COLLEGE OF WESTERN IDAHO

Geology and art have always had an intimate connection, ranging from the pigments used in the caves at Lascaux to some of the first scientific studies of geology illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci during the renaissance. As Geologists, we sketch rock formations in our notebooks for future consideration, as drawing helps to fully engage us with our surroundings. Artists often include the portrayal of geology in the landscapes and backgrounds they render. Scientific illustrators are employed to visually describe aspects of geology that can’t been seen but must be conceptualized.

In many cases visual artists do an exceptional job rendering geological features/formations in their work, while in other cases the geology is simply included as an afterthought. It is our belief that the erroneous portrayal of a landscape or omission of geological details is primarily related to the fact that many artists have not been academically exposed to the geosciences. Similarly, many in the sciences haven’t been exposed to the arts and find drawing intimidating. Many aspects of geology are visually interesting in their own right such as; Contorted Banded Iron Formations, the psychedelic colors of a thin section in crossed polarized light, iridescent blue glaciers, a rising Plinian eruption column, intricate aeolian cross beds (to name a few). Other aspects of the study of geology are conceptually interesting, such as the concept of time, impact, and change.

Over the past two years at the College of Western Idaho, we have been developing a cross-disciplinary project that allows advanced art students to further investigate geology and use it as an inspiration for their final project. The art students are presented with a slideshow and discussion of geology in art and are asked to come up with a plan for their end of term project. After the semester, pieces are selected by a committee to hang in the hallway adjacent to the geology lab. The results of this project include numerous art students who later enroll in geology courses and the “geology gallery” has increased the visibility of both programs on campus.