Paleontologic inspirations in James Cameron's Avatar

Like many other sci-fi enthusiasts, I saw James Cameron’s blockbuster film Avatar.
My opinion is twofold, divided between two aspects of the movie: filming and watching it.

Filming Avatar. Cameron invested substantial resources in creating a revolutionary filming framework and probably set a reference point for the technology of filmaking. For instance, Avatar introduced a very efficent virtual camera system, displaying an augmented reality on a monitor. Thanks to this technological advance, the director can see the actor's virtual counterparts into their digital world in real-time.




Watching Avatar. Here Avatar is less revolutionary. The movie is aesthetically impressive, but the final result is fully comparable to the last-generation computer graphics. Outstanding, but nothing new. Similarly the the 3D glasses represent a juicy old-fashioned technology but they are not critical to appreciate the elaborate visuals. Despite the significant hype raised, Avatar is not a breakthrough in the aesthetics of moving images.
As most of the movies, Avatar isn't only visuals. Indeed I greately appreciated the themes, revolving around a sense of ecological awareness. Avatar criticizes the environmental and social effects of imperialism, coming out at the right moment of the development of human civilization.
Unfortunately, the themes are developed through an extremely linear plot. After the first 30 minutes you know already all the movie. Nothing unexpected happens and there is the persistent impression to have seen something like that before. As many people said, Avatar is nothing more than 'Dances With Wolves in space'.
Avatar is a phenomenon you can't ignore, entertaining and done with extraordinary expertise. Nevertheless, it is definitely not a masterpiece.



Paleontology in Avatar. You might ask why I dealt about Avatar. Isn't this a blog about Geology and Art?
The answers are quite subterraneous, and they regard the fictional biology created by Cameron.
Avatar witnesses an enormous effort into bringing a fictional biological world to life. The result is convincing, although many creatures are modeled closely on familiar animals.
Under this point of view, Avatar is an eye-catching interpretation of how evolution might toss up on another planet. Paleontology is one of the strongest evidences of evolution, therefore I started to look for any paleontological references in Avatar.
Many creatures are obviously dinosaur-like or pterosaur-like, but I didn't find any explicit reference to precise prehistoric animals. Consequently my quest could finish without a result, but then I found the words of Wayne Barlowe, one of the creature creators of Avatar:

"I was influenced by manta rays and skates – sea life motifs were prevalent in my thoughts at the time – when it came to my initial concepts. Their lines informed everything from wings to head profiles. And, yes, being a huge paleontology buff did make me think of the vast variety of relatively little-known pterosaurs and plesiosaurs with their many, unique aerodynamic and hydrodynamic solutions."

Bingo! This demonstrates the origin of the reptile-like flying critters from planet Pandora, coming straight out from geologic times. In conclusion, Avatar is neither a paleontologic movie or an example of geologic art, but it shows how fossils can inspire modern artists.

The Thagomizer

The thagomizer is an arrangement of four to ten spikes on the tails of certain dinosaurs, of which Stegosaurus stenops is the most familiar. It is believed to have been a defensive weapon against predators, although some researches propose a display function only.

Stegosaurus by Heinrich Harder, a paleoartist active between 19th and 20th century. Note the spike arrangement on the tail: it's the Thagomizer!

The term "thagomizer" comes from a 1982 comic strip: the Far Side by Gary Larson. The strip shows a caveman professor discussing about the spikes on the tail of Stegosaurus. The professor explains to the audience that the spikes were named "after the late Thag Simmons" (Thag Simmons is a fictional caveman from Gary Larson's comic).

"Now this end is called the thagomizer...after the late Thag Simmons."

The paleontologist Ken Carpenter picked up the term and used it when describing a fossil at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting in 1993.
Thagomizer has since been adopted as an anatomical term!

The author of the comic strip has a background in Life Sciences, which explains his frequent use of animals and nature in the comic. For this reason too, he is well aware that dinosaurs and humans did not exist in the same era. Indeed he suggests that "there should be cartoon confessionals where we could go and say things like, 'Father, I have sinned – I have drawn dinosaurs and hominids together in the same cartoon.'"

The Thagomizer is not the only scientific term brought by comics. A nice example is given by a strip from "Calvin and Hobbes", criticizing the naming of the Big Bang as unevocative of the wonders behind it. The strip coined the term 'Horrendous Space Kablooie', which has achieved some popularity among the scientific community, particularly in informal discussion.
What about the suggested alternative to Tyrannosaurus rex, 'monstrous killer death lizard'?

Geology in Art Special Review: Walking with Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular

Visual artists often depict reality through painting, but theatre offers the chance to imitate reality in form and movement (see Taddei et al, 2005). For this reason, machines are used since the origins of performance arts.

For instance, Horace used the expression "deus ex machina" when referring to the conventions of the Greek tragedy, where a crane lowered actors playing gods onto the stage. In more recent times, many of the most important engineers and artists of the Renaissance were often involved in making machines and stage settings for the theatre. Leonardo da Vinci is no exception. For a festival in Lyons, Leonardo designed a lion which after it advanced, opened it chest spilling lilies onto the stage.

Tonight I have seen the same visual potential in the mimetic representation of the Mesozoic given by ‘Walking with Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular’. It is a live adaptation of the award-winning BBC TV series ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ and it features tens of mechanically-operated dinosaurs. Originated in Australia in January 2007, it toured North America in 2007, 2008 and 2009. An Asian tour is being scheduled, while it currently travels through Europe. More than 4.4 Million people have seen the show worldwide.

I went to the Assago Forum (Milan) for seeing this live performance show. It’s a 'Geology in Art Special Review'!

Spectacular. This is the first word that came into my mind after the début of a 10 meters long Plateosaurus, moving realistically and interacting with the stage. After that, it was just a series of “whoa!”. It is amazing to see a 17 meters long Brachiosaurus, staring at you from more than 10 meters of height. These are only two of the eight huge hydraulically-operated dinosaurs (Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Torosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex), accompanied by a flying reptile (Ornithocheirus) and five suit dinosaurs (3 Utahraptors, baby T-Rex, Liliensternus).

The gigantic dinopuppets will make you feel that you are looking at real dinosaurs. I also enjoyed a lot the flora, recreated by tens of inflating elements decorated with psychedelic colors.

Engaging narrative. The entire show is narrated by a paleontologist, which is necessary to explain the scientific details of the show. This is a very risky choice, because the presence of a human on stage could suggest an erroneous coexistence of humans with dinosaurs. Fortunately, the show is perfect even under this point of view. When dinosaurs are acting, the actor-paleontologist occupies always a marginal place. Moreover, the actor-paleontologist often reminded explicitly “dinosaurs and humans never lived together”. Great!

Technology. The technology which animates the dinosaurs is amazing. But there is more. Indeed the show uses both live and recorded video to enhance the scenes. Two screens shows the details of the arena and a huge cinematic scope plays recorded video for creating an immersive experience. Dramatic lighting, growls, symphonic music underline the performance.

Science. "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" is a 1973 essay by the evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky. Evolution is one of the most fundamental scientific discoveries of our time, and gives precise answers to the basic human questions “Where Do We Come From? What Are We?”. Evolution is the unifying force in modern biology.

The show promotes the understanding of evolution, dealing with themes such as coevolution, arms race, competition and natural selection. In one word: this is a wonderful educational experience!

Obviously, the main focus of the show is paleontology, which is presented in a very appealing way, discussing also about paleoichnology (the study of trace fossils). This discipline is almost ignored by the general public, so I was very happy to see the actor discussing about the importance of fossil footprints, burrows and coprolites.

In conclusion, I had an enthusiastic impression of “Walking with Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular”: it’s the creative show of evolution and paleontology!

Paleoart between tradition and innovation: Juan de Santiago

I just visited "the Prehistoric Swamp" and "the Volcano Ghost", two blogs maintained by the paleoartist Juan de Santiago. He is a promising paleoartist working with traditional and digital technologies. Take a look to the workflow used to produce the texture for a dinosaur 3D model:

The model was then animated to tell a prehistoric tale:

Human Geology

Today I met the interesting expression "Human Geology" and I questioned myself about its meaning:

1) human geology could be the set of human processes resembling sedimentation. In a certain sense, cities are "human geologies".
2) "human geology" could also refer to the structured organization of the mind. In other words, "human geology" is the geology inside, as expressed by the intricate structure of human mind (and brain).

Art gave me clearer answers. The second meaning (human mind as a geologic space) is represented by David Reinstein, who invokes "a human geology" when citing the poem "Diamonds in the Rough". "Diamonds in the Rough" is a common metaphor for the original unpolished state of diamond gemstones, especially those that have the potential to become high quality jewels. Indeed it is an expression for indicating someone who is basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law.

Diamonds in the Rough

Diamonds recline in unlikely places
While shoe soles and bare feet have no idea
Of treasure buried right beneath their steps.
Feet can't see. That takes eyes.
Rubies, emeralds, sapphires and plain quartz -
Small parts of larger wholes - buried in dark holes.

Sand is so much easier for me to see by the sea
Right where I would expect (and need) it to be.
We all see it readily because we know it is there,
Unhidden, glistening in the subtle minutia of grains-
To see it takes no brains.

What there is, is always there.
What we see is what we expect to see.
It takes the eyes of a scientist to see what is not expected
And the mind of a gemologist to find the diamonds
Embedded in the silt of our souls.
Sources of divine energy,
Criterion for the clergy or
Fuel for a liturgy.

And what about the first meaning? I could refer to "human geologies" when admiring the artwork of Blu. He metamorphosed urban landscapes in living paleoenvironments. Paleontology in Art?




These examples cleared up my ideas by showing the double-look of the expression "Human Geology":
1) Human spaces as geological places.
2) Human minds as geological places.

Are these meanings mutually exclusive? B.J. Vogt joined these apparently distant viewpoints and created "A Human Geology", which is explained by the artist himself as the distance between island topography and the structure of the human brain. Indeed these elements are morphologically similar, as explained by fractal geometry (coasts and brain are typical examples of fractals).

Music, Animation and...Paleontology!

I Am a Paleontologist!



The "Geology in Art" blog comes with a New Year special!
On the heels of the Grammy winning “Here Come the 123s” They Might Be Giants have created a new album of songs related to science. The song "I am a Paleontologist" shows the combined potential of music and animation in teaching paleontology. Enjoy it!




Paleontologists are Punks!

"I am a Paleontologist" is a must for punkster kids! For the grown up, there are Bad Religion. In the 1989 song "No Control" Bad Religion quoted James Hutton, one of the founders of modern geology: "We find no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end". Check the live below or watch here the lyrics:



It is worthwhile to note that the lead singer of Bad Religion is a lecturer of Paleontology and Life Sciences at UCLA. And he continues to rock!

Little Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs are the most powerful paleontological mythology in our times. For this reason it is difficult to discern genuine "paleontologic" songs from paleontologic interferences in art. This is the case of Jonathan Richman's "I'm a Little Dinosaur".



Check out the electro-pop version authored by Monja Enana. Are you ready to go to Sevilla?

Happy Geo-Holidays!

Welcome to the second issue of my blog/webzine.

I was thinking to prepare a monographic post, but then I changed my mind after a relaxing afternoon...winter holidays style!

Few things compare to a crackling fire in the middle of winter. I sat in the armchair with a good book in my hands. Warm music playing softly. After some time, I enjoyed delicious home style cookies, while admiring a colorful painting with warm, colorful tones. It was time to prepare a hot chocolate and move on the sofa for a film.

You might ask "what is the relationship between your afternoon and geologic art?".

The book was "Raptor Red" by Robert Bakker, the music was "Primordial Sludge" by the Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, the painting was "Road Cutting at Charlwood" by John Jackson, and the movie was Disney's "Fantasia"...that's the recipe for a geoartistic holiday-time!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE "GEOLOGY IN ART" BLOG!

(The trilobite is a winter holidays version of the Haeckelbite, a sculpture that I created for the last UNESCO exhibition in Lisbon. Check it out here!)

Robert Bakker and his Raptor Red

Robert Bakker has a place of relevance in GeoArt.
Indeed Bakker is a paleontologist who reshaped modern theories about dinosaurs, supporting the theory that some dinosaurs were warm-blooded. He also illustrated these theories by realizing magnificent drawings of dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs, alive and kicking, appear also in Bakker's “Raptor Red”, a paleontological novel centred on Utahraptor. “Raptor Red” is set in the Cretaceous and deals with the (extra) ordinary life of a dinosaur. The work sparked many disputes, particularly regarding its scientific bases (Norman, 1996). Nevertheless... it is worth to read!

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic

The Birdsongs of the Mesozoic evoke geology right from the gorgeous covers of their albums, and they deal with many branches of Earth sciences. They cite tectonics (“Faultline”), pyroclastic flows (“Pyroclastics”), geochronology (“Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous”), general geology (“Sonic Geology”), geochemistry (“The Iridium Controversy”) and much more. The band plays psychedelic music, stirring classical music, rock and jazz. Moreover, their album covers are true works of GeoArt. It is worthwile to visit their website, full of media to explore!

John Jackson

John Jackson's vibrant aesthetics magnificently illustrates how geology can be expressed by art. For instance, his painting "Road Cutting at Charlwood" depicts the geologic features of a roadcut nearby his home. This work has an abstract atmosphere but then it reveals a sort of "geologic expressionism". In fact many geological features emerge gradually from Jackson's colorful kaleidoscopic visions: igneous intrusions, coal seams and a series of climate-related sedimentary deposits.
Who is John Jackson? John Jackson is a geologist who travelled throughout the world: Australia, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, South and West Africa and Uganda. Now he is transmitting his geological knowledge on large sheets of calico by creating artistic representations of geology. As the artist himself states, John’s art bridges the gap between people and the earth. Give look to "The Rock Doctor's World" to know more about his art!


Disney's Fantasia



"Fantasia" is one of the most poetic movies ever produced by Walt Disney. It features animation, classical music and no dialogue (except for brief introductory sections). The "Rite of the Spring" sequence depicts the evolution of life on earth, from the beginning of simple life forms up to the dinosaurs and their extinction. Music is by Igor Stravinsky.

First Issue - The Mercurial Role of Geology in Art

Welcome to the Geology in Art blog!

The role of geology in art is mercurial, and is somehow mysterious.
Indeed geology and art are inextricably bound together. The science and art of geology have developed in concert and they are still interdependent ways to describe nature.

Through this blog I will discuss the relationship between geology in art, covering painting, literature, comics, photography, sculpture, conceptual art, music, cinema, theatre, dancing...are you ready?
This blog is intimately bound to "Geology in Art: an unorthodox path from visual arts to music", the first book to document the artistic phenomena in which geology brings its own aesthetic and conceptual heritage. Many of the topics discussed in this blog are coming from the mentioned work. If you feel intrigued by the "geology and art" theme, don't miss this book!

The first issue of this blog/web-zine aims to give a sense of the possibilities that may emerge when geology becomes a central theme in art. The four contributions in this issue offer different perspectives on the role of Geology in Art. Enjoy!

Andrea Baucon
www.geologyinart.com

• Geology and painting: Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci is universally regarded as one of the pioneers of Earth sciences for having recognized and interpreted a number of geologic phenomena. In his famous notebooks da Vinci focused on sedimentary geology and discussed sedimentation, stratification and fossils. Less well known is the fact that Leonardo expressed his revolutionary geologic theories in his paintings. Leonardo represented stratification in its finest details, including small-scale laminations. Can you find them? (start the video at 1:50)

• Geology and land art: Spiral Jetty

Land art is a movement in which landscape and the work of art are inextricably linked. Land art and geology are bound together, as geology is the science of the landscape. The video shows "Spiral Jetty", a work by Robert Smithson. The artist chose the site for the blood-red color of the waters and its connection with the primordial sea. "Spiral Jetty" is built of mud, salt crystals, basalt, earth and water.

• Geology in music: earthquake sonification

Geologic sonification is probably the most direct form of interaction between geology and sound. Sonification translates quantitative data into sound, being the acoustic counterpart of graphic data visualization.

• Geology in literature and cinema: Journey to the Centre of the Earth
  

Jules Verne's “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” has some serious scientific inconsistencies, but it also reveals the author’s remarkable geologic background. According to a brillant paper by Breyer and Butcher, much of the scientific information in Verne’s novel was taken directly from Figuier’s “La Terre avant le déluge” (“The World before the Deluge”), a popular science book that was a best-seller in Verne’s time.

• Geology and photography
  

Photography appears persistently in scientific geology as it creates pictures of geologic features by recording their light radiation on sensitive media.
Therefore it is no surprise that geologic themes and photographers are commonly featured in artistic photography. This is the case of Michael Collier who for 20 years has been taking aerial photographs of the Earth's geology.