Monday, October 27, 1997
Pam Davis-Kivelson
Co-founder, Science Art Center
ART A North Campus professor has merged a divided UCLA through
the Science Art Center in Knudsen Hall.
By Terry Tang
Daily Bruin Contributor
Fly embryos as a work of art? They, and other scientific
objects, can be transformed into vivid artistic images by Pam
Davis-Kivelson.
Her passion to tell visual stories behind scientific thought has
manifested through her teaching, exhibits and the little-known
alcove of the Science Art Center in the corner of Knudsen Hall. As
an artist and professor in both the art and women’s-studies
departments, Davis-Kivelson uses her artwork to make mathematics
and science more approachable.
"It’s frustrating that North and South campus don’t have more
interaction," explains Davis-Kivelson. "I had utopian hopes through
the center that there would be exchanges between undergraduates and
graduates in the humanities with their counterparts in the
sciences."
Davis-Kivelson’s reputation in the art world is flourishing on
its own, thanks to her continuous effort to portray the beauty of
science. Her seventh solo exhibition, "Natural Phenomena,"
consisting of nearly 50 photographs about biology and civilization,
is on display downtown through Nov. 29.
Meanwhile, the studio at Davis-Kivelson’s home is enshrouded
with photos of women laboring in factories during the 1940s and
’50s. The photos are part of a course "visualizing women in
science," which Davis-Kivelson will be instructing in Spring
Quarter.
For an artist who has been experimenting for more than 15 years
with every medium from sculpting to drawing, Davis-Kivelson is
carving her own scientific narrative.
However, promoting art and culture was not always an easy
endeavor. After earning a master’s in fine arts from the Chicago
Art Institute in 1980, Davis-Kivelson moved south to Beargrass,
N.C., as an art educator to schools within an entire county.
Despite several problems among minority groups, such as lack of
health care, Davis-Kivelson worked hard to bring art to every
youth. But not everyone in the community shared her definition of
art.
"A group from the Klu Klux Klan organized against me because
they thought art was against the church. It was considered
anti-Christian in the community," Davis-Kivelson says.
After a year teaching in Beargrass, making sure the art program
she instilled would definitely continue in her absence,
Davis-Kivelson moved to the West Village of New York. She spent a
majority of her eight years there as a consulting art therapist at
New York University and taking on various jobs teaching art to high
school students. Working alongside students is something
Davis-Kivelson enjoys at UCLA as well.
"Being involved, working with students on art projects are parts
of the successful aspect. The mentoring aspects mean opening up new
opportunities. It’s involving them in the creative process. I like
their critical contributions," says Davis-Kivelson. "I also like
the help."
Davis-Kivelson’s art encompasses drawing, painting and
photography. For example, one piece captures the different stages
of sleep with photos of a sleeping boy surrounded by her drawings
of brain wave patterns as they behave during sleep.
She also photographs simple substances like water and honey in
midair. Although taken for granted by most people, the mere flowing
of water droplets can create the image of fierce flying
spheres.
"You’re showing what’s going on at a macroscopic level. You’re
revealing something in a novel way that’s actually there all the
time," Davis-Kivelson explains. "For example, when I was
photographing water and other materials, they made these really
nice cascade structures. But when I photograph hair gel, it makes
these angular shapes that look sort of like waves a surfer would
like. They will never go and form in the same shape again. It’s one
of their natural properties. I like knowing that."
Although Davis-Kivelson encountered some skepticism concerning
her scientific twist on art, she receives ample support from other
colleagues in the art, women’s-studies and physics departments.
Sofie Kleppner, a post-doctoral fellow with the Brain Research
Institute and a collaborator with Davis-Kivelson on her art,
emphasizes Davis-Kivelson’s ability to humanize math and science
visually.
"Scientists have a reputation for being very dry, unaesthetic
people. That’s not at all true. The best scientists are extremely
passionate and artistic people," Kleppner says. "Pam has a real
appreciation for how science works. And because of that, I think we
can communicate somethings about science that you just can’t speak
about or lecture about."
Davis-Kivelson is now gearing up for her seventh academic year
as a professor in the art and women’s-studies departments. During
her tenure, she cotaught a course on physics and art with physics
Professor Joseph Rudnick. Together, they founded and co-directed
the Science Art Center.
"It helps practitioners. It gives them a different take (on
science). For the public, it sheds light on something mystifying.
Demystifying it to the public gets them closer to it. This makes it
more fascinating and attractive to them." Rudnick says.
Since 1991, the Science Art Center catalyzed other efforts by
physics professors to teach physics and art. Besides providing
space for lecture demonstrations, the center also opens from time
to time as a place to mentor young girls. Combining efforts with
the Caltech Women’s Center, Davis-Kivelson tries to retain women in
math and science fields, as well as recruit them.
Davis-Kivelson also takes pride in the center as a bridge
between the liberal arts and the sciences. She intends to keep
finding ways to express science artistically in order to interest
other people.
"I see myself as an artist. It’s a way of life. It’s not
something you can do unless you can be totally committed."
ART: "Natural Phenomena" exhibits are on display at the Stephen
Cohen Gallery through Nov. 29. For information, call
213-937-5525.
Photos by INGA DOROSZ
Art and women’s studies professor Pamela Davis-Kivelson displays
her art exhibit at the Science Art Center in Knudsen Hall.
(Left) Professor Pam Davis-Kivelson discusses her newest piece
of artwork with her collaborator, Sofie Kleppner, a post-doctorate
fellow at the Brain Research Institute.