ART AS A COMPLEMENTARY PARTNER FOR SCIENCE: USING ART AS A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ANCIENT PAST AND EDUCATIONAL AID AT FLORISSANT FOSSIL BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Art plays an important role in understanding scientific resources on public lands and interpreting these resources for visitors. Though at first they may seem contradictory, art and science have been tightly interconnected through history. From the detailed drawings of strange creatures and plants to whimsical imaginings of what dinosaurs looked like, these drawings are not only important glimpses into the past but often are still used in scientific research and education today. This fact is sometimes overlooked with the advent of other advanced technologies such as photography and CT imaging which, though valuable scientific tools, often over shadow the uses of artistic methods of data collection and documentation. There are many uses of art in scientific fields, but here we focus on art as a tool to visualize the past and art as a teaching aid. We detail two case studies using visual artistic media to complement scientific research and scientific education for Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and its sister site in Sexi, Peru. These projects were completed through participation in the Geoscientists in the Parks program.

The process of creating visual media for science involves multiple steps with input from many sources. For reconstructions of ancient life, this involves preliminary discussion followed by ongoing dialogue between artist and scientists as images become progressively refined. The purpose of open dialogue is to ensure that the final product is interesting, informative, and as scientifically accurate as possible based on current research. A similar process also exists when creating schematic diagrams that are used to illustrate complex, intangible concepts and processes for interpretive presentation. The case studies presented here illustrate visual media construction specifically designed for scientific and interpretive use. The final products include the first comprehensive reconstruction of the Eocene forest represented by the monument’s sister site in Sexi, Peru, and a series of diagrams for a multi-level education mobile application that will be implemented along the monument’s geologic trail.