Paul Friedlander
Curved Spacetime: String Theory II, 2010
40 x 50 cm
Closeup of part of the kinetic light sculpture commissioned for the Anchorage Museum at the Rasmuson Center, Alaska. More than 6 metres tall, the artwork rises from an almost 2 metre diameter acrylic bowl with the upper end of the waveform suspended from the ceiling above.
About the artists:
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The first thing on the TV news I truly understood was the launch of sputnik. We saw no flames or fiery launch, just an announcement and the sound of the eerie beep broadcast by the satellite and picked up by Jodrell Bank radio telescope. That was 1957; I was six years old, a child of the space age. I became fascinated by space, a dreamer of big dreams, I spent my time building spaceships, I imagined setting off alone to explore the universe. From there it was a logical progression to an interest in astronomy and later a degree in physics at Sussex University but a single day in 1970 was to change my life: a visit to the Hayward Gallery in London to see the Kinetics Exhibition. I became entranced, particularly by the works of Julio Le Parc and Nicolas Schoffer. I did not give up my studies in physics, but began at once to create kinetic art, initially as a passionate hobby. I am glad I completed my degree and I was lucky to have as personal tutor, Tony Leggett, a brilliant and inspiring teacher who later received a Nobel prize for his works on superfluidity. After graduating from Sussex I took a degree in Fine Art at Exeter. More than that I could not summarise, but my interest in light sculpture and scientific art has continued to inspire me ever since.
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