Josiah McElheny’s The Last Scattering Surface at the Henry Art Gallery
Light fixtures and the Big Bang theory of the universe aren’t two things I think of together very often. However, I stopped by the Henry Art Gallery the other day and I discovered a very interesting piece of art. Entitled The Last Scattering Surface, Josiah McElheny drew inspiration from chandeliers found in the New York Metropolitan Opera House and the theory of the birth of the universe. In fact, the original chandeliers were commissioned right around the same time important evidence for the Big Bang theory was developed in the ’60s. Working with a cosmologist at the University of Ohio, McElheny formed his structure from actual mathematical relationships in the theory while still retaining a kind of ’60s pop art aesthetic. His sculpture is accompanied by Conceptual Drawings for a Chandelier, 1965, a film which he discusses below:
If you’re interested in more, there’s an interview with McElheny over at the art:21 blog. The Last Scattering Surface and Conceptual Drawings for a Chandelier, 1965 are on display at the Henry Art Gallery through August 17, 2008.