Art is and always been inextricably linked to science in a continuous state of forward evolution.When our early ancestors began creating simple stone tools – they were applying rudimentary laws of physics to a creative endeavor. At that point, for man, it became a journey of experiential discovery for which there was no turning back.
Looking back to the earliest cave paintings created with natural pigments mixed with water or animal fats, it was a quantum scientific jump to Michael Angelo mixing complex paints from scratch using state of the art materials of the time.
It was then another quantum jump from the era of Michael Angelo to the time of the impressionist when they simply purchased materials from an art supply store rather than having to create the needed materials from scratch.
From an observational standpoint, artists’ visions of the world expanded as science advanced. Artists like De Vinci applied science to art. He created crude visions and designs for flying machines, etc. He delved into anatomy thus understanding how to more accurately portray the human body.
Possibly, the application of geometry to the creation of design motifs (reoccurring patterns) is the most recognizable form of a science applied to art.During the first half of the 20th century, artists were producing imagery with materials and technology which were completely beyond the comprehension of their predecessors.
With the advent of computers in the late 20th century, again science and art came together to create a new medium by which the artist could produce electronically generated images.Some artist chose to apply the classical concepts of geometry and three-dimensional perspective to creating electronic imagery – working in the comfort zone of absolute reality. Other artist became involved in mathematical modeling to create imagery exhibiting a clinical clarity. Then some more adventurous artists crossed the threshold into the hazy realm of quantum theory as applied to electronic art. Tossing aside previously accepted classical theories of what art should be according to accepted standards, they began exploring the world of infinite abstract possibilities.
Enter into the realm of quantum physics where the digital artist is adrift midst a haze of probabilities -- evolving organized chaos where light exists as a wave or a particle -- where an atom can simultaneously exist in two spaces -- where a simple thought can resonate across the universe and change reality as we know it.We live in a universe filled with bits of information, (elemental off/on digital bits - particles), swirling in chaotic clouds which occasionally cluster together in configurations which dissipate and reappear as entirely different configurations.
To the artist exploring the quantum realm, absolute reality as we see it become bits of information – a collection of seething atoms held together by electromagnetic and gravitational forces – everything is in a continuous state of transition. And each atom takes on a life of its own – a nebulous oscillating entity that can simultaneously appear here or there – a unique and complex universe of its own.Programs such as PhotoShop enable the artist to explore the bizarre quantum realm and communicate their visual discoveries via the computer monitor in the digital language of light – myriads of photons emitted from the monitor screen. A venture into the quantum realm using a program such as PhotoShop is like starting out on a journey and not knowing the destination until you arrive – however, it is generally a pleasant surprise when you get there.
Now, for the art pundits and critics, the work of digital artists exploring the quantum realm poses a quandary because there is nothing in their frame of reference to describe an amorphic image captured from a reality that only exists for a nanosecond. Applying traditional classical definitions of what art should be, the critic/pundit cannot relate the image to any particular school or style of art – there is no linearity, comprehensible geometry, or literal frame of reference to define a composition. The solution for the critics and pundits is simple: Just attempt to ignore what you don’t understand.However, by the simple fact that an individual views the image, the information therein has caused changes in the way the individual perceives reality. Metaphorically, viewing the image inserts quantum software into the unconscious mind like a subprogram for which there is no off switch. The individual is never going to perceive reality as he did before and becomes drawn further and further into a quantum state of mind.
In essence, the image presented is the application of physics, quantum theories, to art, and the artist simply jostles the surrounding photonic environment thus nudging an arbitrary image from a quantum mechanical smudge into what we perceive to be a fixed reality. The paradox being: Did the artist create the image -- or -- through exploration, did the artist simply discover an existing image concealed in a photonic maelstrom of infinite possibilities?
