News

Science inspired art at the Ogden Centre of Durham University

(8 July 2005)

From Tuesday 12th July until Thursday 21st July, Durham University’s Ogden Centre will be hosting a major art exhibition by Steve Sproats, as part of its aim to bring science to the broader public.

The exhibition adds to the extensive programme of outreach activities of this international centre of excellence and innovation, largely known for its pioneering work in Computational Cosmology and Particle Physics.

Steve’s artwork attempts to bridge the gap between science and art. Using the same methods physicists use to measure the accuracy of their theories and equations, his images and constructions are mathematically and intuitively generated, seeking to explore the concepts of elegance, symmetry and beauty.

A display of a series of Steve’s work has been at the Ogden Centre for the past three months and has inspired much interest and discussion amongst physicists. “They are eye-catching”, “get people’s attention” are just some of the comments.

Steve’s artworks are handmade geometric shapes constructions, which he has been creating for 30 years and they are intended for wall mounted display. Steve said, “There are many levels of meaning contained within the artworks. The principles they reflect are spiritual as well as scientific.”

The exhibition overlaps with a major scientific meeting at the Ogden Centre, when over two hundred international will gather in Durham to discuss the latest developments in “Supersymmetry”, a theory which can be said to be the key to understanding the building blocks of matter in the universe and how they interact through the fundamental forces between them.

This art exhibition follows a very successful display of the Institute of Computational Cosmology at the one of the “star’’ attractions at the prestigious Summer Science Exhibition of Royal Society in London. The exhibit, entitled “Cosmic Cookery: growing galaxies in a computer”, explains how galaxies are made.

ends

For more information, please contact: Dr Pete Edwards, Department of Physics, Durham University, Tel 0191 334 3782, e-mail p.j.edwards@durham.ac.uk