Mark Dion
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/9/7/13974943/866713.jpg?690)
Mark Dion was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1961. He received a BFA (1986) and an honorary doctorate (2003) from the University of Hartford, School of Art, Connecticut. Dion’s work examines the ways in which dominant ideologies and public institutions shape our understanding of history, knowledge, and the natural world. “The job of the artist,” he says, “is to go against the grain of dominant culture, to challenge perception and convention.”
Conversations the Art Brings to the Classroom
- "Museums are a window into the past"
- "What people thought about the natural world at a particular time"
- "Mirror to Ecology: Our relationship with the natural world"
- "Examining historical groundwork: Nature Science focuses as a world view"
- "Our relationship to science is similar to a renascence artists relationship to theology"
- "Contemporary art: critical foil to dominate culture"
- "Questioning the authoritative role of the scientific voice in contemporary society
How the Artist Exhibits use of MI
Although Dion may be questioning the role of science in our world view, he is very knowledgable of the scientific process and works as a scientist as well as an artist and historian in order to achieve his goals.
Exposing students to Dion's process may help signify how one can utilize a biological scientific process to create art:
Dion exhibits the following Naturalist MI behaviors throughout his process:
Exposing students to Dion's process may help signify how one can utilize a biological scientific process to create art:
Dion exhibits the following Naturalist MI behaviors throughout his process:
- collects, orders, and exhibits objects
- surrounds himself with items of inspiration
- Combines his writings and sketches
- His sketches have a strong scientific leaning functioning as diagrams or observational studies as well (see below)
- Interested in eco systems and how nature living bio systems