At the same time our society has become more dependent on technology and as the global competition that exists in science, industry, and business intensifies, there has been a waning interest in science and mathematics by elementary and secondary students in United States schools.
The phenomenon of art as a universal language and children accepting new technology as the norm and a way to fit in with their peers provides the opportunity to reach and teach many through art and technology. Often by the age of ten, youngsters have made judgments about themselves and their abilities. Many think they have no artistic ability if they cannot draw realistically or that science and math is too hard. Some of the abstract concepts we ask students to grasp in mathematics and science become clear when presented during hands-on demonstrations in math and science, through art.
The fact that I am a woman artist using holography and video opens new ways of thinking about art and technology. I plant the seed that maybe you do not have to draw realistically to be good at art. I plant the seed that technology can be used in art. I plant the seed that there is art in technology. I plant the seed that girls, as well as boys, can communicate ideas and excel using technology and art. Of course planting the seed is a good beginning. Teaching holography is where nourishing of the seed produces the bloom.
If technology is the door through which students enter holography, art is the window of expression that allows the students to use holography to create landscapes the mind has envisioned. Without art education, a critical component in the creation process would be missing. Art holds and guides the hand of technology in holography as an art form and is a crucial component for experiencing success in the creative formula. Art taught through holography or holography taught through art, are interchangeable with the end result being knowledge that can be measured, applied, and visually observed.
Holograms are used all over the world for security purposes, in laboratories to perform nondestructive testing, in art galleries to exhibit multicolor and artistic concepts, in electronic circuits, and in computer-generated optical elements. Lasers in barcode scanners are used globally to read information.
In addition to a hologram being made with light waves, a hologram can be made with sound waves and other waves in the electro-magnetic spectrum. Holograms made with X-rays or ultraviolet light can record images of particles smaller than visible light, such as atoms or molecules. Microwave holography detects images deep in space by recording the radio waves they emit. Acoustical holography uses sound waves to see through solid objects. Physicists use holography to record interactions of sub-atomic particles. Optical engineers use holography to make minute measurements; biologists study cells and tissue, and mechanical engineers use holographic interferometry to test for stress and faults in a variety of materials.
These are just some of the holographic innovations and applications being utilized today. Holography's ability to record and reconstruct both light and sound waves makes it a valuable tool for science, industry, education, business, and art. With availability, ease of use, and education, just like photography, holography will become less marginalized as people see and understand the possibilities of the multiple applications for education that exist in holography. The mindset or preconceived idea that science and technology are hard to understand and not enjoyable can be changed through the art and education inherent in holography.
Much like “art on a cart” holography can be “holography on wheels”. While not the ideal way to present holography, a portable presentation method may be instrumental in the initial acceptance of holography as an educational tool. Large numbers of students and teachers can be introduced to the basic concepts, wonder, and possibilities of holography in a presentation that is easily set up, taken down, and transported to a different location. Inexpensive diode lasers are small, easily built or obtained, and safe.
Through education and recognition as an artist using holography and video I seek to demystify the process and promote the voice I have found as an artist and educator using technology.