Strange and Charmed: Science and the Contemporary Visual Arts Sian Ede (editor) (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, London, 2000 Charming but strange, that A.S. Byatt (in her excellent introduction to this book) thinks city financiers', diplomats', journalists', writers' and students' reading 'just now' is most likely to be about science. One wonders: would this be a scientific observation, or an artistic one? Her other assertion: that 'this book is fascinating reading', is in my experience true. And Dr. George Dodd (a 'Scottish olfactory scientist') also asserts: that there is 'under-representation of smell as a medium in art' This, one supposes, is due to lack of oxygen rather than rotting matter, which exists in abundance. So you can tell already that this book is very interesting - a clearly written 'must read', in fact. There is a series of edibly good, far-reaching essays on art science interstices and ambiguities, which it links with other intellectual disciplines. It is interestingly illustrated. Clearly Sian Ede, Gulbenkian's director for arts and a major mover behind many of the residencies and projects this book describes, is on this evidence alone, a model Arts Professional, well-advised, creative, literate and efficient. More, please!
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