Is Everyone a Leonardo?

Is Everyone a Leonardo?

It is not a coincidence that our Journal’s name is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci,  a hybrid creative that blurred, erased, and redefined the lines between disciplines.  Driven by a relentless need to ask and explore, he let his curiosity and observations guide him.  

In the documentary “Leonardo da Vinci,” Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon explore the artist’s relationship to nature and humanity in the context of Renaissance Italy, humanism, and cultural rebirth of the times.    

But was Leonardo unique or is everyone a Leonardo? 

The question here is about our potential as a species to tap into our sense of wonder and imagination.  Is curiosity innate?  Can it be cultivated?  What can we learn from Leonardo, the man, to help us imagine a future that is both generative and humane?  

The Leonardo team has partnered with WETA PBS to encourage local conversations about these conversations.  Below, we have curated a series of discussions, resources and guides that we hope will spur discussion amongst us all about the nature of creativity, observation, and experimentation.

LEONARDO da VINCI, will air Nov. 18 and 19, at 8:00-10:00 pm on WPBS-TV and PBS. The film will be available for online streaming at watch.wpbstv.org and PBS.org, as well as with the free WPBS App or PBS App, coinciding with its broadcast premiere.

 

 

Events

Arizona PBS & Leonardo LASER Talks event in Tempe

Interview between Max Herman and Ken Burns

Discussion guide created by WETA/PBS

This guide will point you to resources, partners and suggestions that allow you to create engagement opportunities that truly connect, invigorate and inspire your communities.

Da Vinci Articles from Leonardo Journal 

Leonardo da Vinci Film Review by Amy Ione

Here is a film review written by Amy Ione. 

Mindful Mona Lisa Blog

The Mindful Mona Lisa blog began in May of 2020, emerging out of the Leonardo/ISAST Covid-19 discussion groups.  Informed by a literary approach to Leonardo as an author (as well as an artist and scientist), inspired by Italo Calvino’s discussion of Leonardo in Six Memos for the Next Millennium, the blog presents several novel hypotheses. These include the Esperienza allegory hypothesis, the dual bridge/garment metaphor, and the possibility of a subtle “pointing” gesture related to both. The blog highlights the full range of Leonardo’s work, as well as his influences and later legacy, to better understand his multifaceted significance today for all disciplines and all areas of art, science, and culture.

Summary of the Esperienza allegory hypothesis

The Esperienza allegory hypothesis is a novel interpretation of Leonardo’s most famous painting, unique to the Mindful Mona Lisa blog and not discussed elsewhere in Leonardo scholarship to date.  It asserts that this “universal portrait” may be on one level a visual representation of Leonardo’s written personifications of Esperienza, Italian for experience and experiment, which he wrote of as “the common mother of all the sciences and arts,” “the interpreter between humans and nature,” and “the one true maestra,” pledging himself as her “disciple,” and vowing “as maestra, to acknowledge her, and in every case call her as evidence.”  This hypothesis also interprets the bridge and garment in the portrait as metaphorical attributes of Esperienza, representing respectively the flow of the history of art and science and their present inhabited form both “worn” and “woven” by the sitter.  In this context the sitter’s hand gestures may be interpreted as “pointing” to the garment’s spiral weave by subtle finger-touch, to express Leonardo’s faith in our human ability to shape the evolution of the arts and sciences in accord with conscience, wisdom, imagination, and the deepest levels of ethical harmony with the natural world, other human beings, and all living things. These hypotheses have not yet been published in an academic forum but are gaining increased interest from scholars and academics in both art history and other fields.  
 

Resources and Links

Museums and Exhibitions

Engagement Ideas

 

  • Live Q&A Sessions with Experts, LEONARDO LASERs
    • Organize live Q&A sessions with art historians and Da Vinci experts. (LEONARDO/ISAST can help identify speakers)
    • Panel discussions on the impact of Da Vinci's work on modern art, science, and engineering from diverse disciplinary perspectives could attract a diverse audience. (e.g. LASER Talks by Leonardo/ISAST)
  • Educational Activities: Workshops
    • S.T.E.A.M workshops on Da Vinci’s techniques, such as drawing anatomy or creating inventions; tailored for beginners and more qualified artists.
    • Children’s workshops can include activities like creating simple inventions or learning basic drawing techniques inspired by Da Vinci, leading to short-term exhibitions. (from 1 day to more if there is capacity)
  • Themed Viewing Parties
    • Encourage stations to host themed watch parties where they dress up as characters from the Renaissance or in Da Vinci-inspired outfits.

  • Collaborations with Museums and Educational Institutions

    • Partner with museums to create Da Vinci virtual gallery / special exhibitions that complement the documentary. This could entail featuring Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous works and lesser-known sketches. Incorporate interactive elements where viewers can click on artworks to learn more about their history and techniques.

    • Work with local schools and universities to integrate the documentary into art or history curricula, accompanied by educational materials and projects.

    • Invite contemporary artists to showcase pieces inspired by Da Vinci’s philosophy and artistic practice. This could be in a physical gallery.

  • Art and Innovation Contests

    • Organize a competition for artists or junior awards to create works inspired by Da Vinci, with the best entries displayed online or in a gallery.

    • Host an innovation challenge where participants propose modern-day inventions that align with Da Vinci’s visionary approach. It could take the form of a hackathon.

  • Culinary Experiences

    • Da Vinci was known for his interest in food; organize a Renaissance-themed dinner event where attendees could experience food inspired by his time, along with the documentary screening.