Quantum Sculpture

Brink_computerAs an aesthetics-minded former physicist I quite enjoy artists who are able to convey the beauty and mystery of quantum mechanics through images. I especially admire former physicists who are able to make such art, who help us to visualize the physical world we do not see and who can communicate ideas that  people such as myself have to struggle to describe through words. One such artist is Julian Voss-Andreae. Julian studied physics under Anton Zeilinger, whose work and lab I described in my article The Reality Tests, and did his graduate work on that strange border between quantum mechanics and the classical world we observe. After leaving physics, Julian became a sculptor, crafting images that similarly explore the border between what can and cannot be observed, inspired by his studies of quantum mechanics. This month, Julian begins a year-long exhibition of his works, called Quantum Objects, at the American Center for Physics in College Park, MD. Few fine artists receive such an endorsement of their technical accomplishments from scientists, and his work is definitely worth a look. If you are in the DC area, check it out. I especially like his sculpture Quantum Man, which changes form dramatically depending on how it is observed.