Quantum Blink by Isabel M. Martinez

Martinez on her work:

According to quantum mechanics we have forty conscious moments per second, and our brains connect this sequence of nows to create the illusion of the flow of time. So, what would things look like if that itermittence was made visible? This body of work explores that hiccup, that blink, that ubiquitous fissure in the falling-into-place of things.

In my work I attempt to articulate something in between the freezing of time—that so often characterizes photography—and its relentless passing. I hint towards temporalities that are fluid, speculative, and somewhat loose. I am looking for the line that divides the finite (probability) from the infinite (possibility). If time is a succession of instants, I want to see what lies in between them. I am after the gaps between instants of consciousness.

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Quantum Man I & II by Julian Voss-Andreae demonstrate how tricky perception can be.

Voss-Andreae on Quantum Man:

According to quantum physics, the world is fundamentally quite different than it seems. For example, matter can be demonstrated to have a wave-like quality associated with its motion. Quantum physics describes a moving object as consisting of waves oriented perpendicular to its direction of motion. Drawing inspiration from this aspect of nature, I created an image of a walking human as a quantum object. Made up of thin, vertically oriented steel sheets representing those waves, this sculpture is a metaphor for the counter-intuitive world of quantum physics. Symbolizing the dual nature of matter with the appearance of classical reality on the surface and cloudy quantum behavior underneath, the sculpture seems to be solid when seen from the front, but dissolves into almost nothing when seen from the side.

Quantum Chess by Olena Shmahalo is based on Richard Feynman’s metaphor for quantum mechanics.

About the project:

The material, fired clay, alludes to the biblical story of creation (from dust, dirt, mud) as it sits in accordance with the current, scientific understanding of our being. The phrase “Created in the image of god” has become equivalent to being “made of star stuff” (Carl Sagan).

As each piece is both “subject” and “landscape” (piece & board), the set does away with the concept of Classical separation in favor of suggesting a perception of All as unified, yet variously manifested. The shape of the “landscape” comes from illustrated representations of quantum space-time, magnified, as seen in Hawking’s Brief History of Time.

The metaphorical form of these pieces complicates the game, just as increased knowledge requires more complex equipment and more difficult questions. Each time a new game is begun, it must be treated as if entering a new “universe”. It’s possible to play Quantum Chess according to the classic rules, but the players must assign names to and label the pieces in order to keep track of the game.

Eric J. Heller aims to make the unseen world of quantum physics visible through his art.

Heller on his work:

My digital abstract art is inspired by a world we cannot directly see; the quantum realm of electrons, atoms, and molecules. The strange, often chaotic quantum domain yields forms, which I use as a medium, creating images which convey the mystery of quantum physics.

His philosophy on a new medium:

When a water colorist puts a wet brush to paper, physics rules the result: wetting and fluid flow on paper, scattering and absorption of light by pigment on fibers, evaporation and drying hold sway. These physical phenomena mimic other aspects of the natural world and with experience can be harnessed to wonderful effect. Similar statements hold for pastels, egg tempera, oils, photographs, etc. To date, digital painting tools have tried to emulate traditional media and effects.

Digital artists need no longer emulate traditional media only! The computer allows us to create new media, with new rules, more naturally suited to the new tool. But such rules are best when they too follow physical phenomena, instead of arbitrary mathematical constructs. I have learned to paint with electrons moving over a potential landscape, quantum waves trapped between walls, chaotic dynamics, and with colliding molecules. Nature often mimics herself, and so these new media, exposing the beauty and mystery of the atomic world, yield a variety of effects that recall familiar aspects of our macroscopic experience.

Find out more about his method and what each of these images represent here