The ID Arts Blog

We are pleased to introduce artist Tim McMahan and his ID Art print entitled “Placed with Purpose”. We are also pleased to offer those that sign up for the ID Arts mailing list a free high-resolution edition of this image suitable for framing or use as your computer desktop wallpaper. Here is Tim’s commentary on the image: “I created it in Adobe Photoshop with the use of two stock photos (the moon and the eye). I created it after hearing a lecture by Jay Richards on The Privileged Planet in March 2005. Dr. Richards mentioned in that lecture that many of the things we find most beautiful in nature also happen to be results of things that are necessary for our survival. I was inspired by the idea that a solar eclipse is not only an expression of beauty but also evidence of purposeful design. While looking at an eclipse, we can see the designer looking back at us.” 

Tim is a freelance graphic designer based in Orange, CA. He graduated from Biola University in 1996 with a B.S. in Art.

With a motor structure of drive shaft, rotor, bushings, propeller, and a rotational speed of about 20,000 rpm, the bacterial flagellum of the E. coli bacteria has become the veritable mascot of intelligent design. This molecular machine has been called “irreducibly complex” by Michael Behe and other biologists, meaning that the flagellum poses an obstacle to step-by-step Darwinian evolutionary processes. At the same time, this nano-motor structure has the type of intricate, precise, and efficient molecular arrangements that are exemplary in showing the striking similarities between technological structures known to be caused by intelligence, and the type of complexity found in living cells.

This three dimensional image of one of the quickest and most efficient machines in the known universe was created using Sketchup3D, based on the structural descriptions of Howard C. Berg and other biologists. Rendering a three-dimensional image can be tedious, this particular work taking about thirteen hours. The result of this rendering process is a unique visual expression of one of the most amazing examples of molecular motors to be found in the biological world.

To view the 3D model in three dimensions, you will need to download SketchUp. Click here to download the 3D bacterial flagellum.

For more information, and a version with protein labels, visit ResearchID.org.

“…Only from the deep coal tunnels
White diamonds come.
But only by the light
They are recognized…”

Akiane’s Co-Creating is featured elsewhere in this blog as an example of artists who feel their talent is somehow a reflection of the creative nature of the universe. Divine Knowledge is another of Akiane’s works that speaks to the design of the universe and our yearning to understand it. If we use our chisel to follow the evidence where ever it leads, will we find the diamond? Perhaps we have already found the diamond (DNA) and just don’t fully realize it, or are still discovering its implications. Here are Akiane’s comments about this painting (keep in mind she was age 11 when she wrote this):

“This painting was particularly hard for me, because I have changed it so many times and ended up using two models and two completely different backgrounds. It took me a few months to paint its full meaning and another five months of prayer to fully understand it.

This is the painting about search for divine knowledge.

The young sculptor represents our civilization mostly ruled by the male. His youth shows that our civilization is still immature. The sculptor is chiseling a huge heap of coal in order to find the diamond representing divine knowledge.

The sculptor ignores the pain, strain, hardship and temptation of everything surrounding him. All he focuses on is on finding this particular diamond, and he knows that if he chisels long enough through the black coal layers, representing human knowledge, he will finally see the diamond of divine knowledge.

In the background of a cave the contrast of ice and hot rocks represent the world of contrasts we live in.

The melted ice that formed a narrow stream flowing through, symbolizes humanity’s thirst for knowledge that can be quenched only by God’s light.”

Visit Akiane’s website and click on the image for a more detailed view of the painting.

We look to film for entertainment, escape, and occasionally to explore the deeper issues of life. But can film be an effective medium to explore the material/non-material boundary?

Damah is a non-profit organization that encourages an emerging generation of filmmakers from diverse perspectives to voice the spiritual aspect of the human experience through film and provides a forum for these artists to develop, discuss and display their vision.

In January, 2001, a group of individuals met to brainstorm about how they could support artists who desired to explore spirituality. They had a desire to create an event where people from a wide spectrum of spiritual backgrounds could come together to form a community where ideas, thoughts and perspectives on the spiritual aspect of life could be explored through the art of the short film.

The cream-of-the-crop from the first six Damah Film Festivals are available on DVD, and a few of these short films can be viewed for free online. For an example of one that drifts into the ID space check out Gabrielle. This 15 minute film tells the story of an unborn soul who has to make the decision whether or not to be born. The materialist worldview proclaims that we are born, we pay taxes, and we die. Is there more to life then that? Where do souls come from? Where do souls go? Are we more than a collection of chemicals that decompose when we die? These are all worthy questions raised by Gabrielle.

Those of you who can’t make the trip to L.A. for the next Damah Film Festival in May 2007, might want to check out the Altarnet Film Society which is setting up chapters around the country to watch and discuss the Damah short films.