Scientist/artists? (was Re: Creativity)

[Marc Paquette <paquette -at- INFINITY -dot- METROWERKS -dot- CA>]

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On November 14, 1994, Michael Keene <MKEENE -at- UTKVX -dot- UTK -dot- EDU> writes

[snip]
> I think you've put your finger on it when you ask about the role
> of creativity.  But I think the "creative, or a technician" is a
> false dichotomy.  Somewhere back there before Aristotle there was a
> third way, not theory, not practice, but pr
> actice-informed-by-theory ("tekne" is how the Greek
> transliterates); Aristotle kind of flattened it out when he called
> it "productive art."  I don't remember much from back then, but it
> seems to me really great shoemakers, physicians, musicians, and
> some farmers had that.  I think that's the kind of creativity we
> have.  Maybe not (often) uppercase "C" Creativity, but
> creativity nonetheless.

Gee, this sounds like Robert Pirsig's philosophy in _Zen and the Art
of Motorcycle Maintenance_. ;-)

I just finished reading it and I think I'll read it again. It's a dense
novel and some good reading to boot.

Like Michael Keene, Pirsig's character divides his outlook on the world into
three "parts:" classical (objective, scientific point of view), romantic
(subjective, artistic point of view), and the biggy, Quality (or creativity
or gumption or talent or what you want to call it). Quality is what
brings together and drives the classical and romantic views, like Michael's
"practice-informed-by-theory" approach.

I also read an excellent book on art criticism (sorry, I can't remember
the title or author) that partially recognized this joining of art
and science. The author named Leonardo Da Vinci as who a person who
was able to put the joining of art and science in his work.

What other scientists/technicians are also accomplished artists/writes?
Off the top of my head I can think of Albert Einstein and even
Carl Sagan (sort of)...


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Marc Paquette                                         paquette -at- metrowerks -dot- ca
Metrowerks, Inc. Technical Publications              (514) 747-5999 ext. 232
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                  Do not disturb me, I'm already disturbed.

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