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I was initially attracted to holography for its haunting realism and reconstruction of depth; the 'magic' of an ethereal, simulated image ("suspending the real" as Baudrillard would say). But it was the process of learning how they actually work which led to a fascination with optics and, subsequently, physical phenomena on every scale. As I began to look at the world through a diffraction grating, I was compelled to shift my artistic focus from my original training in painting, to explorations in light as a medium unto itself. Nearly all of my work involves a component of light. Issues of light and color relate to so many fields, from aspects of particles, detectors, and the electromagnetic spectrum, to psychological moods and social associations. Beyond its countless behaviors, light is an extremely powerful communications vehicle which exudes emotion, helps us navigate and conveys information. The multiple disciplines that this medium crosses provides numerous models of viewing "reality;" always present is this simultaneity between our sensing of the physical world and our interpretation of it. I strive to place my work on the cusp of these two types of experience by bringing out the physicality of the material while making aesthetic decisions that still leave space for mystery and wonder. Engaging the immediacy of our sensory perceptions - the passage of time, light, shadow, transparency - just to be able to grab someone's attention and make them deeply look at something in order to inspire wonder and curiosity in the viewer is my goal. I see light as a delicate interplay of serene to quirky physical attributes coupled with the emotional content of moods, dreams and mythologies. Understanding the nature of light has led, of course, to scientific innovations and countless applications which have affected the world immeasurably - from revealing the contents and motions of stars to extending our working hours well past sundown. But it also inspires appreciation of structure and our own perception in a way that can be observed in the everyday lives of anyone with two retinas - our own biological interface. My interests in the “nature of nature” are what led me to my frequent visits to Fermilab's Ask-A-Scientist, on the suggestion of Ed Wesly. His description of the bubble chamber fueled my initial visit, which led to many others and secured physics' influence in my own works to come. I have an immense amount of gratitude to the many people I've met at Fermilab whose tireless explanations and generosity towards me will have a lasting impact on my work and perspective. As a Master's Candidate at New York University's interdisciplinary Interactive Telecommunications Program, I am constantly exposed to the effectiveness of a cross-curricular dialogue between the arts, science, and technology. As all of these develop within our shared societal and cultural framework, all disciplines benefit from such a discourse. It is for this reason that I feel that what both art and science have to offer can be used in tandem to elucidate, educate, and inspire |
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