The basis of inquiry that inspired this project is an intuitive feeling that we are connected to nature. In fact, it is so deeply ingrained in our psyche that it has become a fundamental part of our daily lives. Although we can’t see or feel nature as it is, we are constantly surrounded by it. It wraps around us like a blanket, and through our senses, we are able to experience its beauty and abundance.
We can all feel the presence of nature when we are in a forest or on the beach—the trees, the ocean, and even the air itself seem to have a distinct atmosphere all on its own. We know there is something special about being surrounded by these elements; they provide us with comfort, security, and connection.
So how does one explore this emotional connection, visually?
In 2022, I started exploring the role of art and science in human culture. I have been examining how these two forces interact and how they can be used to create a better understanding of our world and what it means to be human. In my work as an artist, I have found that when science and art are combined, amazing things can happen. This is because both art and science are rooted in similar forces from which we can draw inspiration.
Science is a way of looking at the world through objective eyes.
Art is a way of communicating our beliefs through visual images.
Spirituality is a way of connecting with what makes us who we are as human beings— our emotions, our hearts, our souls.
By utilizing these three areas in my work, I hope to wake people up to the ground we all belong to and showcase the powerful forces within nature shown through artful images backed by science.
The Medium - Photography
The Approach- Science
Art Created by the physics of sound vibration.
From ancient Greek: κῦμα, meaning “wave”, Cymatics is a subset of modal vibrational phenomena. The study of visible sound and vibration. The term was coined by Hans Jenny (1904-1972) a physician and natural scientist. In ‘Cymatics: The Study of Wave Phenomena’ he concluded,
“This is not an unregulated chaos; it is a dynamic but ordered pattern.”
The multiple forms of universal geometry, symmetry, and beauty that emerge through resonance in various mediums, allow us to ponder the nature of sound, vibration, form, and many more questions.
This body of work was produced during my Capstone in the Fall of 2022 to complete my BFA in Graphic Design.
This is only the seed being planted. I believe that we need to be aware of how nature works, and how it relates to our own lives.
My next run of experimentation in this exploration process is to examine the liveliness of nature by producing cymatics by recording the sound of plants themselves.
I intend on capturing the sounds of fungi and their potential as a source for our future technology. Fungi have been around for billions of years, and are the oldest living organisms on the planet. They are our past and our future—they are part of nature itself.
