I was walking through the University of Arizona campus late last year and came across a large ceramic-based mosaic in the courtyard of the geology building. The mosaic was filled with a combination of quotes and images of both nature and human-made elements, such as the bricks and cut stones pictured above. I walked around the mosaic, taking pictures of many of the various quotations. I figured they might provide good food for thought on this blog. (I’ll be sharing more of them this week on Instagram.)
The quote I chose to ponder today is this: “Art is a passion pursued with discipline. Science is a discipline pursued with passion.” I have seen the truth of both elements in my life.
As I have mentioned before, for a decade back in Massachusetts, I belonged to a pottery studio called Feet of Clay. I quickly learned that the art of ceramics must be pursued with discipline if we want the finished product to turn out at least somewhat close to what we imagined or planned. If the temperature in the kiln gets too high, the pottery can slump or melt. If a piece of pottery is too thick, it can explode, damaging the other works of art around it. If the composition of the glaze is incorrect, it can refuse to adhere or run all over the kiln. In order for the words on the mosaic tiles in the picture above to be readable, everything has to be just right.
I also watched my father take a passionately scientific approach to his life. As a research physicist, he knew that verifiable data was extremely important. To reach a successful conclusion, every part of the scientific process had to be followed rigorously. When he would cook on occasion (usually a major project such as crepe suzettes or terrine), he carefully followed the prescribed processes. Whenever he constructed something, it was “Measure three times, cut once.” He rehearsed his music with a lovely wooden mechanical metronome and kept careful spreadsheets on everything. I can well imagine that passionate adherence to the discipline of the scientific method was a major reason he was honored as one of the first Distinguished Members of the Technical Staff at Sandia Labs.
We benefit from tapping into both passion and discipline in just about every area of our lives. Where have you seen that happen for you, in art and/or science?
