Plants in Science and Art
Instructor: Judy Jernstedt, Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
Description: The seminar theme is a consideration of plants and their roles in natural and human-made environments, through a combination of textile art studio projects, readings, and discussions. Students need not be artists or science majors to enjoy and learn from this course; they must simply be willing to think creatively about the role of plants in our everyday lives.
Readings will come from "The Emerald Planet: How Plants Changed Earth's History," by David Beerling, 2007, OUP. Discussions will consider concepts of the scientific method, the plant body, metabolism, evolution, extinctions, and global climate change. Discussions will also involve planning for the studio projects. The studio portions will be textile art projects by individuals and by the group. The UCD Botanical Conservatory and the UCD Arboretum will serve as living laboratories for exploration and inspiration for the studio projects. This seminar will use a fusion of art and science to explore plants and to increase scientific literacy; it will contribute to future courses under development for the Science and Society Art/Science Fusion Program. Goals are to gain an appreciation of plants as living organisms, with unique features and making essential contributions to human life on earth. By emphasizing the common elements of artistic and scientific efforts (e.g., observation, analysis, repetition/revision, creativity, critical appraisal), students should better see the connections between these two types of uniquely human endeavor. Improved oral and visual/graphic communication skills will be emphasized.Format: The weekly schedule is a combination of discussion (Mondays, 2:10-3:00 pm) and studio (plant collection, observation, sketching, design, textile painting and dyeing, and framing/hanging; Mondays 3:10- 5:00 pm). The principal outside activity will be two one-hour, instructor-led, on-campus group field trips early in the quarter to identify sources of plant material for the studio projects. Class readings will be done outside regularly scheduled class meeting times.
Grading: Non-letter grades (Pass/Fail) will be based on two progress assessments and a final project (hanging banner for campus display). The progress assessments will be based on studio portfolios exhibiting technical and artistic accomplishments in the studio as well as contributions to science-based discussions of the readings.About the Instructor: Professor Jernstedt is a member of the faculty in the Department of Plant Sciences. Her research interests include the structure and development of plants, with an emphasis on crop plants and on ferns and fern allies. Current project include studies of a bean leaf development mutant and branching in lower plants. She currently teaches a course on the morphology and evolution of vascular plant.