Science, art meet in exhibit

For some people, art and science don’t go hand-in-hand. But Wolfgang Ritschel has a passion for both.

Ritschel, a painter and sculptor, was trained in pharmacology, medicine and philosophy for about 40 years before devoting his full attention to the fine arts.

He combined science and art for an exhibition that has come to UNC, displaying 35 vivid original paintings of objects of science in UNC’s Health Sciences Library.

“It is vibrant work that reflects medical conditions, procedures, and treatments, and depicts medical workers in various ways,” said Ginny Bunch of the Health Science Library, in an e-mail.

A former professor at the University of Cincinnati, Ritschel created the pieces for an exhibit at the university.

“Art had been his first love as a child,” said Stephen Marine, the coordinator of the exhibit at the University of Cincinnati.

Though he has a background in science, Ritschel often found inspiration from his travels.

But when he was approached to create an exhibit combining art and science, it was a perfect fit.

“It is who Wolfgang is; he saw it as a way to meld his artistic career with his science career,” Marine said.

The exhibit opened in the Health Sciences Library on Sept. 21.

“My sense is that it is thought- provoking to our library visitors, and they either really like or they don’t,” Bunch said.

A panel discussion and question session at the exhibit at 5 p.m. on Oct. 14 will focus on the idea of art and science.

The exhibit is scattered about the library, so it isn’t a clear focal point of the building. But the bold colors of the art pieces draw attention to themselves and should provide the perfect backdrop for the panel.

The pieces reflect the artist’s experiences in the medical field, but at times they also go deeper into his life. One piece, identified as a self-portrait, is actually a stylized painting of his own cancer cells.

Ritschel’s pieces are a striking reminder that the gap between art and science does not have to be so great.



Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.