Light Science: Physics and the Visual Arts

What is the nature of light? How does an artist’s selection and use of colorants determine how we experience a work of art? What can visual illusions tell us about the nature of perception? In what ways do the laws of optics manifest themselves in the visual arts? 

In this fully revised edition of the classic textbook, Rossing and Chiaverina present the science of light – that is, the science behind what and how we see. Their approach emphasizes phenomena rather than mathematical theories, and the joy of discovery rather than the drudgery of derivations – the opposite of “heavy science”. 

The text explores such topics as: the effects of mirrors, lenses, and prisms on light and color; the physiology of the eye and the nature of color vision; the use and effect of color in the visual arts; the different kinds of sources of light; optical data storage technology; photography and holography; color in printing and painting; the applications of optics in astronomy, medicine, and communications; and computer imaging and processing. It includes numerous problems, questions for discussion, and suggestions for simple experiments to support interactive learning. 

This updated edition contains a wealth of new full-color artwork, and information on the latest developments in light source and display technologies. Requiring no prior knowledge of physics, it will appeal to students and any reader interested in the relationship between science and the visual arts.

Thomas Rossing, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Northern Illinois University, is currently a Visiting Professor at Stanford University.  Since retiring from Northern Illinois he has also been a visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) and Seoul National University (Korea). He is the author of more than 400 publications (including 17 books, 9 U.S. and 11 foreign patents),  He is a fellow of ASA, APS, AAAS, and IEEE. Mainly known for his books and papers in acoustics, he has also taught courses on physics for visual artists and has written two books on the subject.  His biography appears in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and Who’s Who in America. He received the Millikan medal (AAPT) Silver Medal in Musical Acoustics  and Gold Medal in Acoustics (ASA).

Chris Chiaverina taught high school physics for 34 years. He spent the last decade of his teaching career at New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL where he served as director of The Connections Project, an initiative that employs interactive exhibits to demonstrate linkages among the arts, mathematics, and science. His approach to teaching physics was the subject of an installment of the PBS science series “The New Explorers.” Chiaverina has written articles on physics education for a variety of journals, is co-author of four textbooks, and has served on the editorial board of The Physics Teacher magazine. In 1997, The American Association of Physics Teachers presented him with its Award for Excellence in Pre-College Physics Teaching. In 2002, Chiaverina served as president of the American Association of Physic Teachers. He is currently editor of The Physics Teacher magazine’s “Little Gems” column and presenter of workshops for science teachers in the United States and abroad.