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Synergy

Artist: Hanna Parssinen
Scientist: Karen Evans

Hanna Parssinen & Karen Evans

There is much artistry in the work of scientists. There is much patience and devotion, insight and intrigue of subject and study — it shows. The highly organised nature of this scientific work contrasts sharply to the general disregard of the oceans and the animals within it, which has created chaos and destruction — we call this pollution.

Karen Evans

My role as a scientist is one of an investigative nature and I guess all science is typified by this. In my case, I'm essentially trying to piece together a story on the lives of whales and dolphins from what I find on the beach. It's almost like a jigsaw puzzle — the large puzzle is the complete life story of a species of whale and the small pieces are the individual components of a whale’s life. Often even the pieces aren't clear pictures, they may be clouded and not obvious, and it is my scientific training that enables me to interpret each piece.

I take all the information I have in front of me, whether that be the results of laboratory analyses that tell me something about pollutant levels in each animal; or a set of measurements and ages that, with the help of some calculations, tell me something about the growth patterns in that species; or even historical stranding event data that tell me something about the distribution of a species and the particular times of year that they are present in particular waters. From these pieces I construct the most accurate picture possible. And this is where I see the parallels between art and science, each is an interpretation of a particular subject. Often both will involve a painstaking and involved process in putting together the art piece or the presentation of scientific results. Ultimately, both involve a learning process — and a passion.