Artistic and scientific representations: The Atoms by Hilma af Klint

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine paintings in the Atoms series by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint in terms of artistic and scientific representations. The discussions were anchored in Psychology of Art and conceptual profiles about atoms, and the interconnections between science education and art were woven based on the role of representations as material artifacts. Methodologically, it is based on the principles of visual design grammar, as well as the textual and visual composition of the works. Klint's works are artistic representations of conceptual complexity and diversity, including views on the continuous and particulate nature of matter, particle duality, energy-matter interconversion, the uncertainty principle, energy levels, and ether as a constitutive element of matter. The relationship between the watercolors and scientific conceptions of atoms, based on semiotic analysis, provides opportunities for artistic, scientific, and sociohistorical mediation, allowing us to explore the genetic route of the conceptual development of the atom by comparing and opposing them to representations.

Keywords
Art and Education; Paintings; Social Semiotics; Psychology of Art; Conceptual profile; Atoms