Cris Orfescu

NANOART 2006 Competition


Open to All Artists – Original Electron Microscope Working Image is provided


This is the first ever online NanoArt worldwide competition open to all artist 18 years and older. The purpose of this competition is to promote NanoArt as one of the new art disciplines of the 21st Century. NanoArt is a new art form where micro/nanosculptures created by artists/scientists through chemical/physical processes and/or natural micro/nanostructures are visualized with powerful research tools like Scanning Electron Microscopes. The monochromatic electron microscope images are processed further to create a piece of art that can be showcased for a large audience to educate the public with creative images that are appealing and acceptable. To read more about NanoArt and Nanotechnology please visit .


In these days, anyone could have access to these advanced tools at universities or independent labs for an hourly rate. For this competition, the sponsor, founded by artist/scientist Cris Orfescu (nanoart), will provide a high resolution monochromatic electron scan. The participating artists will have to alter this image in any artistic way to finish the artistic process and create a NanoArt work.


Submission deadline is December 31, 2006.


The artworks entered this competition will be displayed online for voting starting January 1, 2007 through March 31, 2007. Judging is via the Internet and decided by our site visitors. The sponsor reserves the final decision. Winners will be notified and published online around April 15, 2007.


One entry is allowed per artist. The Entry Form and the image file for web presentation should be sent by email to . The web image file must be .jpg or .gif with the longer dimension of maximum 600 pixels at a resolution of 72 dpi. A Working Image of approximate 3000 x 2300 pixels at a resolution of 72 dpi will be provided by sponsor. This will be the original image (the scanning electron microscope image above) that should be converted by artist in a piece of art. This image will be used by artists for this competition only and is a working vehicle for the artists to exercise their talent and creativity. Copyright for this image remains with the . Copyright of entered artworks remains with the artist who agrees to grant permission to to use the submitted material in exhibits on the web site and other media for marketing and printing. For complete competition details and to download the Entry Form and Working Image please visit: nanoart_2006.htm.

Highlights

• Born in Bucharest, Romania, lives and works in Los Angeles since 1991.
• 35 years of experimenting with different media and being involved in a variety of projects: NanoArt, digital art, murals, acrylic and oil painting, mixed media, faux painting, trompe l’oeil, graphics, animation, web design, logo design, and a backdrop for a TV show.
• Over 20 years of experimenting and perfecting a new art form, NANOART, which reflects the transition from Science to Art through Technology.
• Self-taught artist.
• International and national art exhibitions, awards, commissions, public and private collections.

Commissions and Personal Collections

Governor Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana
Chaya Horrowitz, Manhattan Beach, California
Julian Kovacs, Toluca Lake, California
Dr. Raffaele La Ferla, Redondo Beach, California
Dr. Larissa Malinovskaya, Torrance, California
Van and Jerry Callaghan, Redondo Beach, California
Judy and Carey Gordon, Los Angeles, California
Flora and Felipe Bautista, Los Angeles, California
Heather Cassano, Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Michael Koenig, Santa Monica, California


Public or Institutional Collections

A.P.Smiley & Sons, Los Angeles, California
La Casa Decor, Los Angeles, California
South End Racquet and Tennis Club, Torrance, California
Caleb Technology Corporation, Torrance, California
Growing Garden School, Redondo Beach, California

I create Art from Science using Technology

My art is a reflection of the technological movement. I consider NanoArt to be a more appealing and effective way to communicate with the general public and to inform people about the new technologies of the 21st Century. NanoArt is intended to make the public aware of Nanotechnology and how will this impact our lives. Nanotechnology deals with the synthesis, manipulation and characterization of matter at the sub-100 nanometers level. Nanotechnology is still an emerging area although commercial products are already on the market. Nanotechnology is a very powerful combination of technologies that could be extremely beneficial or extremely dangerous, including life threatening. I think the best way to keep things under control is Knowledge. Not only governments and military should know about these developments, but the general public at large should be informed. My images being attractive to the public from the esthetic point of view awaken the curiosity of my audience. As a result, people ask questions and have open discussions around these new technologies, and this is good because people will take informed decisions.
I bring the small world in front of my audience through high resolution electron microscope scans of natural micro or nanostructures and
nanosculptures I create by physical or/and chemical processing. I paint digitally the monochromatic electron images and print them with archival inks on canvas or fine art paper. This way, the scientific images become artworks and could be showcased for a large audience to educate the public with creative images that are appealing and acceptable.
NanoArt is not Photography. The depth and three dimensions achieved in NanoArt sets this process of electron imaging apart from Photography, where images are created by photons (particles of light) rather than by electrons (electrically charged particles). The electrons penetrate deeper in the structure creating images with more depth, more natural 3D-look than the photographic images.

March 2006, Los Angeles, California, USA - Winner in the international juried competition TOP 40 at Los Angeles Center for Digital Arts February 2006, London, UK – Diploma of Excellence in the international juried competition REAL-TIME September 2005, Los Angeles, California, USA - Winner in the 2006 Emerging Artist Calendar juried competition August 2005, London, UK - World of Art Award for the Best in Art and Creativity May 2005, Beverly Hills, California, USA - First Place Award in the New Media category at the AFFAIRE IN THE GARDENS art show October 2005, Burbank, California, USA – Honorable Mention - juried competition September 2005, Rome, Italy – Finalist in the DIGITALLY 2005 juried competition May 2005, Santa Monica, California, USA - Honorary Best in Show Award - Backstreet gallery juried competition December 2004, Rome, Italy - Finalist in the BEYOND BOUNDARIES 2004 juried competition

“Abstract Images of Nanotechnology”, article published Friday, April 8, 2005 in Pasadena Star News
“Small Wonder Nanotechnology”, article published Monday, April 11, 2005 in U-daily bulletin of Los Angeles Newspaper Group
“NANOART selected for the 2006 International Digital Exhibition”, article published Thursday, February 23, 2006 in IT’S ART Magazine, France
“Technology enables cutting-edge curating for ‘Softcopy’”, article published Tuesday, April 11, 2006 in The Northern Light, Anchorage, Alaska
“Nanoart : des oeuvres d'art grâce au microscope électronique”, article published on March 17, 2006 in Futura Sciences, France
“Le NanoArt: un nouveau courant artistique?”, article published on March 19, 2006 in Generation Nouvelle Technologies, France
“Nano art: Molecular-level creativity”, article published on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 by Associated Press
“Arts Pionniers”, article published in the September 2006 issue of Stuff magazine in France.

October-November 2006, Chania, Greece – THE 4th INTERNATIONAL ART FESTIVAL CHANIA 2006 April-July 2006, San Pedro, California, USA – ON SITE AT THE GATE 2006, juried exhibition, Angels Gate Gallery
April-June 2006, San Diego, California, USA – 2006 INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EXHIBITION, sponsored by SONY at the Museum of the Living Artist April 2006, Manizales, Colombia – THE 5th INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE IMAGE, Caldas University April 2006, Anchorage, Alaska, USA – SOFTCOPY, Kimura Gallery, University of Alaska March 2006, Los Angeles, California, USA – TOP 40, juried exhibition, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art
February 2006, Los Angeles, California, USA – group show, Infusion Gallery January-February 2006, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA - 12 X 12, A National Juried Exhibition of Small Scale Works of Art – Todd Gallery, Middle Tennessee State University
December 2005, Florence, Italy - THE 5th INTERNATIONAL BIENNALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Fortezza da Basso December 2005, Miami, Florida, USA - MASTERS MYSTERY ART SHOW 2005 September 2005 – March 2006, Binghamton, New York, USA - THE 15th INTERNATIONAL MINI PRINT EXPO, Roberson Museum and Science Center October 2005, Beverly Hills, California, USA - AFFAIRE IN THE GARDENS October 2005, Burbank, California, USA – LEARNING AND PRODUCT EXPO: ART, Hilton Airport and Convention Center September-October 2005, Los Angeles, California, USA - SNAP TO GRID, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art August-September 2005, Pomona, California, USA - THE 2nd LATINO ART BIENNALE, Museum of Latino Art July 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - WORLD MARKET CENTER DEBUT, Las Vegas Convention Center June - July 2005, Hermosa Beach, California, USA - HERMOSA BEACH ART WALK June 2005, Los Angeles, California, USA - Bank of America Plaza May 2005, Beverly Hills, California, USA - AFFAIRE IN THE GARDENS May 2005, Santa Monica, California, USA – Santa Monica Civic Auditorium April 2005, Los Angeles, California, USA - NANOART and PHOTOGRAPHY February 2005, North Hollywood, California, USA - TWO MEN SHOW November 2004, Los Angeles, California, USA – NANOART 2004, solo show