One of my favorite subjects, subatomic particles like neutrinos have inspired several artworks of mine over the past decade. I wanted to collect and reflect on the work as a group together here on my blog and to show how this subject has inspired my work in different scales and media. The neutrinos are part of the unseen universe and their behavior is extremely fascinating to me. It’s difficult to detect them and there is much that is still unknown about them. They are elusive and very abundant in our universe and travel near the speed of light but are actually not faster than the speed of light. They have very little mass, and are particles with no charge or energy. The marks in these artworks derive from imagery originally taken in a bubble chamber. The lines and curves create a language that is exciting to invent with in the artist studio. I take a lot of artistic license here in drawing these marks. Imagining the trails and behavior that these particles create fascinates me. Neutrinos are one of the most abundant particles in the universe and billions of these particles can travel through us at any time. Considering what is happening in the unseen universe all over our human landscape is very inspiring. My mind moves in many directions as I enjoy thinking about the invisible as a starting point for my imagination. The mystery and ambiguity of these particles is part of the appeal to bringing them into my art. In making these marks on a small drawing or in a large mural they take different forms. When taken out of their science context into the poetic lens of art, we can dwell on a horizon that is in us but completely out of view.
Golden Ratio, 30” x 42”, 2014, acrylic on canvas.
The main structure of the composition blends a macro view from an airplane at night with the micro view of subatomic particles trails.
Detail of Fullerton Mural, 14 ft x 110 ft, acrylic on concrete, 2017.
Almost Faster than the Speed of Light, 12” x 12”, acrylic on panel, 2019
Point, 12” x 12”, acrylic, string, and sand on panel, 2005.
Faster than the Speed of Light, 10 nanoseconds, 6” x 8”, ink and colored pencil on paper 2011, Daily Drawings: Week 27
Faster than the Speed of Light, 20 nanoseconds, 6” x 8”, ink and colored pencil on paper 2011, Daily Drawings: Week 27
Faster than the Speed of Light, 30 nanoseconds, 6” x 8”, ink and colored pencil on paper 2011, Daily Drawings: Week 27
Faster than the Speed of Light, 40 nanoseconds, 6” x 8”, ink and colored pencil on paper 2011, Daily Drawings: Week 27
Faster than the Speed of Light, 50 nanoseconds, 6” x 8”, ink and colored pencil on paper 2011, Daily Drawings: Week 27
Faster than the Speed of Light, 60 nanoseconds, 6” x 8”, ink and colored pencil on paper 2011, Daily Drawings: Week 27
Faster than the Speed of Light, 70 nanoseconds, 6” x 8”, ink and colored pencil on paper 2011, Daily Drawings: Week 27