8 August 2013
'Transformations - D'Arcy Thompson and The Chimera in Art' - Cafe Science Summer Special on 14th August
A special summer edition of the popular Café Science series will see the University of Dundee's Matthew Jarron explore one of
art's most enduring fictional creatures as part of Dundee Science Centre's 'Myths and Monsters' exhibition.
Matthew, Curator of Museum Services at the University, will deliver a talk, entitled 'Transformations - D'Arcy Thompson and The
Chimera in Art' at Dundee Science Centre from 7pm on Wednesday, 14th August.
The successful exhibition features a life-size model of the chimera - a mythical creature with a lion's head, goat's back and
snake for a tail. The chimera has long been a theme that has fascinated artists, but the iconic transformation diagrams that the
influential polymath D'Arcy Thompson published in his book 'On Growth and Form' provided a scientific basis for the
metamorphosis of one species to another that has inspired new generations of artists.
'I will be exploring the artistic legacy of D'Arcy's extraordinary work, with particular reference to artworks on display in
the D'Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum,' said Matthew. 'The chimera model has proved to be a real hit at the Myths and Monsters
exhibition, and I will be talking about the impact of D'Arcy Thompson's anatomically exact diagrams in terms of its
representation across all art forms since then. After the talk there will also be an opportunity to visit the museum for
anyone who is interested.'
Running until Sunday, 29th September, Myths and Monsters is a spectacular family blockbuster exhibition visiting Dundee
from the Natural History Museum. Created with zoologists, it explores popular myths and legends from ancient history,
Greek mythology and storytelling using astonishing animatronic models, specimens and photography.
Incredible graphics, intriguing specimens and life-size models bring legends to life, allowing visitors to discover a dragon,
marvel at mysterious sea creatures, check out the chimera and come face to face with a unicorn.
The popular Café Science events see top researchers from the Universities of Dundee and Abertay, James Hutton Institute and
across Scotland lead informal discussions that have helped to enhance public understanding of science. Topics ranging from
sea-monsters to the search for ET have been covered, along with many health-focussed talks that reach out to people affected
by debilitating conditions. Café Science will return with its next full season of talks on Wednesday 11th September, with a
full line up of 18 talks to be announced soon.
'Transformations - D'Arcy Thompson and The Chimera in Art' takes place at Dundee Science Centre from 7pm on Wednesday,
14th August. Doors open at 6.30pm when the coffee shop will be serving drinks and snacks. Entry is free and open to all,
and while the event is not ticketed people are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
More information about the Café Science series is available at www.cafesciencedundee.co.uk/.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Professor Sir D'Arcy Thomspon Wentworth Thompson was born in Edinburgh in 1860, and went on to become a renowned and
influential biologist, mathematician and classics scholar.
As the first Professor of Biology at University College Dundee, now the University of Dundee, he was a pioneer
of life sciences in the city. He also spent many years working at the University of St Andrews, and a series of celebrations
were held at both institutions last year to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Whilst at Dundee he created a Zoology Museum for teaching and research which was at the time one of the largest in the
country. The collection specialised in Arctic zoology due to Professor Thompson's links to the Dundee whalers. He personally
undertook expeditions to the Bering Straits as a representative of the British Government and returned with many valuable
specimens for his museum, some of which remain on display in the modern-day museum.
His seminal work On Growth and Form has been described as 'the finest work of literature in all the annals of science that
have been recorded in the English tongue' and his influence extends beyond science into areas such as art, architecture,
engineering and literature.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277 |
