Confirmation of Time

Sculpture Design.

Entropy can be described as a measure of how organised or chaotic energy is in a system of atoms or molecules. Entropy is a universal force that operates at molecular and cosmological scales. Entropy is a fundamental drive in the Universe from order and containment, to disorder and growth and through the observation of newly formed structures entropy offers a way of perceiving the passing of time.

Confirmation of Time explores the cosmological principle of entropy at a smaller scale. By observing the annual cycle of deciduous trees, and the seasonal effects of entropy on the budding, growth, colour and decline of each tree’s leaves, this artwork draws parallels between the natural system of the forest and the formation of universal structures. Confirmation of Time serves as metaphoric model of the expanding universe, in which the changing pigment and structure of the falling leaves are used to reflect the passing of time and the entropic change from ‘order’ to ‘disorder’ at local, global and universal scales.

The imposing ‘chandelier-like’ structure of Confirmation of Time invites the audience to look into the structure of universe; the youngest leaves at the edges of the structure represent the outer reaches of the universe, whilst the older leaves and broken nest of sticks at centre of the artwork reflect the region of greatest universal entropy.

Confirmation of Time was the product of If A Tree Falls in a Forest, a collaborative art and science investigation with the Cosmoparticle Initiative at the University College London. The project communicated contemporary physics to a public audience by transforming selected cosmological research data into exploratory 2D, 3D and time-based artworks.

The project was a 6 month long collaboration between both artists and scientists to investigate concepts which, whilst central to contemporary cosmological research, are increasingly inaccessible, abstract and intangible to the non-scientist.

 If A Tree Falls in the Forest was led by Michaela French with IED Visiting Lecturer Dr Helga Schmid, and Prof Andrew Pontzen from the UCL Cosmoparticle Initiative.

The project culminated in a public exhibition and workshops at the Grizedale Forest Visitor’s Centre Project Space from 12th October – 4th November 2018.

For further information and project documentation visit ifatreefalls.rca.ac.uk