Transformation, abstraction, and reassembly of information: An art-science exchange informs perceptions of nature

Humans transform, filter, break down and reassemble seemingly endless amounts of information as we strive to make sense of the world we live in. For an ecologist observing a natural ecosystem, this process may produce a graphical figure summarizing a targeted property of the system; for an artist observing the same phenomenon, this may result in an abstract painting that depicts qualities of light and color. Although the gap between the arts and the sciences is often assumed to be large, intellectual exchange between these two perspectives can generate novel perspectives on how we view the world that surrounds us.