Event Blog #1

“Movement” at the CNSI Art Sci Gallery

When Professor Vesna emailed about a showcase of student art in the CNSI building, I jumped at the opportunity to attend.  “Movement” seemed to be the perfect complement to this class because it focused on art that was inspired by scientific principles.

As a walked around the room, this piece, Float (The Grand Jete) by Taylor Leong, caught my eye. She used acrylic and India Ink to create this work. The strokes convey movement and fluidity. In addition, her work is like a time lapse picture because there are five images of the ballerina, each one drawn at a point in time slightly after the one before it. I like the fact that the center image is bright and has lots of contrast with the background, while the outer images are less vibrant. It looks like the ballerina was moving into the focus of a camera lens and a spotlight and then after the center image was read, she moves out again.

In her description, Taylor describes the ballerina’s movement, the Grand Jete. The ballerina jumps into the air with her legs pointed down, and then at the highest point in her jump, she lifts her arms and legs. This movement raises her center of mass and allows her to extend her jump creating a sense of having “hang time.” I find it fascinating that dancers like this ballerina have been aware of physical phenomena like this for hundreds (possibly thousands) of years before physicists developed the math to explain why it happens. I think that this Grand Jete is a very pure and intriguing combination of art and science because it is an example of something where the science followed the art, instead of the art following the science (as seems to usually be the case.)

 I really appreciate all the dimensions that Taylor put into this piece. It seems like you can view it in layers, and with each layer you unveil, you understand Taylor’s motive more clearly and appreciate her creativity even more. I’m definitely glad I decided to stop by this gallery in the CNSI building.

Float (The Grand Jete) Taylor Leong