On November 12, 2014 Dan Jay gave his talk on "Archemy" in the Rose Auditorium. You can view the talk below.

Are science and art truly separate disciplines? Or can their combination reveal a whole new way of thinking and seeing? This talk by biochemist and visual artist Dan Jay will explore the value and impediments in working between art and science from his unique experience of doing both for 30 years. Jay ‘s current work ARCHEMY, combines art and science by capturing the beauty of chemical reactions on paper. The chemistry Jay uses stems from his earliest memories of learning the subject, such as magnetic fields with iron and silver chloride precipitation. Dynamic patterns and textures generated by liquid nitrogen supercooling and rapid rewarming are captured on paper and use unusual media derived from different elements from the periodic table. ARCHEMY is the rare product of the scientific mind with an artist’s eye. Viewers can appreciate the abstract or representational imagery while also being challenged to think about the roles of chemicals in society. Stylistically, the works pay homage to abstract expressionism in which the dynamic push-pull of the media is paramount.

A reception will follow the talk.

Dan Jay is professor of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology at Tufts Medical School, where he studies cancer metastasis and drug resistance. He was a junior fellow in the Society of Fellows and the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences at Harvard before moving to his present position. He studied art with Will Reimann and Paul Stopforth. Jay’s recent solo shows at the Massachusetts State House, the Boston Public Library and Tufts Aidekman Arts Center (ARCHEMY). Jay’s first public commission (8 by 12 foot mural) was recently unveiled to inaugurate the Boylston Art Corridor. He has lectured on Archemy at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and the Gordon Research Seminars. Jay seeks to inspire young artists and scientists to work at the interface of their fields. He believes that the interface between cutting edge science and contemporary art as the new avante garde, a thought championed by the noted physicist and philosopher Arthur Miller.