6&6

6&6 is a transdisciplinary collaboration to explore the patterns and processes of the Sonoran Desert and Gulf of California to impart a deeper appreciation of this region.

Photo credits: Maria Johnson

Observation is the catalyst for creativity. Art and science set forth from the same point of departure. A glimpse of an enigmatic chuckwalla on an isolated mountain, pools of fresh water in the midst of a sand sea, the whimsical form of a common plant seen in a new light. Each ignite curiosity, deeper inquiry, and creativity. This is not a new way of thinking. Some of the world’s greatest scientists have been artists at their core. Yet, academia has been moving away from an overt partnership with the arts in recent years. Some would argue that hypotheses and emotion don’t mix.

Credit: John

If we as a society are to maintain the vibrancy of culture and biodiversity through the Anthropocene, we need new ways of seeing the world and what stands to be lost. Storytelling is at the core of what it means to be human. Artists and scientists unravel the stories of nature and experience through different means. United in the creative process, the two can be a powerful force with an even greater capacity to connect, engage, and deepen our understanding and appreciation of the world we live in.

6&6 is an experiment in taking the time to co-create and co-discover. At each step, art influences questions and science drives narrative. These have been honest, real collaborations that have resulted in friendship and have adhered to life’s unexpected turns. Transdisciplinary collaboration proceeds on its own time.

We invite you to fully immerse yourself in each of these microcosms of the Sonoran Desert and Gulf of California. After emerging from deep dives into geology, genetics, pozos, plants, bycatch, and rivers, we hope that you will see the desert differently – taking pieces of each pairing as you go forward, feeling more connected to the magnificence of our desert and sea, and your place in it.

https://ngen6and6.com/

Please also see this video of the 6&6 exhibit at the University of Arizona Museum of Art, which was in the main gallery from January through April 2019.