Unlocking potential to think outside the box

If we are to develop a deeper understanding of our world and what is happening to it, we must stop compartmentalising ideas and embrace interdisciplinary working, says Martin Kemp.

Martin Kemp's work was transgressing traditional boundaries before many had heard of the term 'interdisciplinary research', let alone understood its benefits.

The reward has been a series of provoking insights, stimulating debate about the nature of image at the intersection of art and science.

Professor of the History of Art at Oxford University, his interest lies not in charting the mutual influence of art and science upon each other. Rather, he examines the intuition shared by artists and scientists when considering their world - "the initial itch that motivates both to try to make organised sense of what they see."

Far from being dismissed as a Jack of All Trades, Martin Kemp is universally acknowledged as a master - one of the world's leading authorities on Leonardo da Vinci.

Two paths converge

Despite his subsequent success, Professor Kemp readily admits that even he thought he had "switched tracks completely" when, armed with a Natural Sciences degree from Cambridge University, he opted to study the History of Art at London's Courtauld Institute.

It was his interest in Leonardo da Vinci that brought together both interests - and inspired research which has led to several acclaimed books and international exhibitions.

Increasingly, his work has focused on issues of visualisation, modelling and representation. "Images are central to advancing understanding," he explains. "Many people might find a maths formula hard to understand. If you translate the information into an effective visual form, it becomes more accessible.

"That's vital if we are to develop a deeper understanding of our world and what is happening to it."

UK leads the way

Interdisciplinary working is becoming more mainstream. Indeed, Professor Kemp believes the UK is the envy of other nations, including the United States, for the extent to which it has embraced the link between art and science.

He says: "In the States in particular, there can be the stereotype that those who study interdisciplinary courses don't really know much about anything - real Jacks of All Trade, glibly mixing ideas."

His own work has only ever been greeted with "surprise and some unjustified awe." But more generally, challenges remain. While issues such as global warming are forcing a cross-disciplinary response, many hang on to the compartmentalisation of subjects, and thus ideas.

Stifling innovation

"Among some in the Humanities, ignorance of science is worn as a badge of pride," he says. "Likewise, science sometimes dismisses the Arts as decorative and peripheral.

"Yet innovatory research comes by bringing forward ideas that have not previously been considered - ideas from another area perhaps."

Overcoming the barriers

And those young researchers who do see their careers crossing disciplines can face hurdles, even now.

First, it can be difficult to secure a job if people don't truly understand where you fit in. Then, it can seem impossible to secure funding for a project which does not slot neatly into one box.

Offering a new solution

Professor Kemp says: "I myself have had grant applications rejected because the project was 'too ambitious'. It's understandable that, when faced with hundreds of applications, an organisation goes with those with which it feels comfortable.

"That's why money should be ring-fenced for cross-disciplinary research. Applications could be assessed by a Board convened specifically to assess that project - one equipped with the expertise to foster potential and offer advice."

Equipping the next generation

But the nurturing of new potential needs to begin before then - in school, he argues.

"If you have those skills and are interested in the subject, you can latch onto something very quickly.

That's the excitement of interdisciplinary working - putting together ideas and coming up with surprising insight."