SciArt Magazine - All Issues | Page 38

SPOTLIGHT I’ve made these photographs to better know my place in the universe. Our ability to travel the cosmos being limited, I’ve built a machine in an attempt to observe elemental transactions. I’ve created a mechanical solution to what is a metaphysical problem, forcing basic elements of perception—sound, light, and matter—into a single frame. These are photographs of sound encountering light as seen through the medium of water. On one hand, I’ve staged common phenomena, and on the other hand, I’ve captured tiny cataclysms never to be repeated. I bring you evidence of a minute history, in which no instance is petty and every instant too complex to perceive in its entirety. A moment is all time, an atom the universe. These photographs aim to capture the beauty and turmoil that occurs inside the most pedestrian events. Sunlight bounces on water, sound waves march toward oblivion. - Sasha Raphael vom Dorp, artist Sasha Raphael vom Dorp was born in Taos, New Mexico and has been exhibiting his work since 1992. He is currently working on the creation of an immersive integrated system, which applies light and sound to matter in a way that forces the observer to experience a fusion of their senses. He works in two studios, Los Angeles, CA, and Taos, New Mexico. www.sashavomdorp.com 38 SciArt in America April 2015