Fabian Oefner is a photographer and
artist who wants to blend the disciplines of art and science. His psychedelic
images capture natural phenomena and present them in unique and eye-catching
ways. To date, subjects have included sound waves, iridescence, even magnetic
ferroliquids and fire. His aim: to create images that appeal to both a viewer's
heart and brain.
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Dancing Colors “The Pillar”
(2013). This is a visualization
of sound. Colored crystals leap from the
surface of a
speaker as it emits sound waves. More starting at 2:13 in
Oefner’s
talk.
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The beauty of this talk is not simply based in the extraordinary visual images presented, but also in capturing the imagination of the young. The
amalgamation of science and art is a modern cultural recovering. something that
has been lost in the modern age. Society's framing of science as
"rationality" and art as the opposite does a disservice to mankind,
leading to the false dichotomy that one must choose science or art. Yet in past
worlds like the Renaissance or the most ancient civilizations science and art
were simply different expressions of the human pursuit of truth and beauty in
the world around us.
It
is unfortunate that the popular conception of"art" right now is so
heavily visual, when much of the beauty around us does not lie in the 400-700nm
range of light that our eyes comprehend. Rather, the beauty in the science is
like music, or a good book, requiring us to really sit down and listen or read.
I hope talks like Mr. Oefner's encourages many more people to take the time to
immerse themselves in the vast, unseen world!
Results
are extraordinary in spite of coming from very ordinary things—sound speakers,
magnets and whiskey. Sometimes the beauty and wonder of two opposing
disciplines can be brought out and magnified by their counterparts.
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Millefiori No. 01 (2012). Ferrofluid is a magnetic, hydrophobic liquid that
forms colorful curves and channels when deposited onto a magnet and
injected with watercolor paints. More starting at 5:20 in Oefner’s talk.
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"Science and art both look at the world around us, yet do it in
very different ways, " he says. "Art approaches the world in an
emotional way; science approaches in a rational way. I would like to do both at
once, to speak to the viewer's heart and brain."
To Oefner, the process is as important as the product. After showing some of his still images- full of vibrant colors, abstract shapes, luminescent blobs, swirls and iridescent light- Oefner presents some of his techniques to the audience. In a video, he shows how he makes sound waves visible by placing colored crystals on top of a speaker covered by a plastic sheet, shooting their movements using a camera that takes 5, 000 frames per second. The result: explosions of color in concentric circles and cascades.
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Grain
of Scent (2013) Tiny individual droplets of a liquid mixed with spray
paint hang in the air for a fraction of a second, forming a scent sculpture. |
Every single photograph, whether
analogue or digital, is a marvellous demonstration of science, but the science
part is the part that's often taken for granted - it's often in the background
of our lives. The same could be said for paint manufacturing, audio equipment
from wax cylinders to MP3 players, moving image from zoetropes to midair
projections and 3D TVs... All are the outcome of creative science, encouraged
by humanities' desire to explore, express and create. So you could argue that
the fact we all carry cameras in our pockets today is thanks to art and science
working together.
Live, he
demonstrates how ferrofluids on a magnet form spikes in the viscous black
liquid, adding watercolors with a syringe to form otherworldly patterns as the
fluids flow around each other. And in a nod to our Edinburgh hosts, he sets a
small amount of its national drink alight in a large glass flask to show how he
obtained stills of the flame traveling down through alcohol.
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Marbelous
No. 05 (2013) An unusual look at the properties of oil,
as colorful marbles of oil paint float in a solution of water and methylated spirits. |
Why do this? “Most of the time we don’t pay much attention to the unseen
and poetic,” he says. “I hope to make the viewer stop and think for a moment
and consider the beauty that surrounds us every day.”
The worlds of art and science are not so separate for me.
Arts and Sciences are a perfect combination. It's time to realize that a lot of famous scientists have had a very artistical approach to their work.
Science is nothing without Art. Maybe it's also the other way around.
SOURCES:
SOURCES:
Fabian Oefner: Psychedelic science (youtube)
