Lewis Andrews
Scientia Year
One Book.
Every month.
For a year.
To Stimulate an Informative Encounter.
'Scientia' is a self-directed project with the intent of improving my knowledge and utilizing my practice as a conduit between art and science. 'Scientia' is a year-long project in which I've learned (and continue to learn) about concepts and ideas through a book and then attempt to translate those into an artwork for the audience to experience as an 'informative Encounter'.
- Lewis Andrews
‘Scientia’ was undertaken as an extension to the current investigations into the theory of an ‘Informative Encounter’ originating from experimentation during Lewis’s masters degree. Describing his process as a conduit between art and science, ‘Scientia’ takes this approach and puts the theory to the test for a whole year with the incorporation of scientific information provided by a carefully selected list of books. During his masters degree, Lewis discovered his work would have one or more of the following traits:
- New Knowledge
- New Viewpoints / Impossible Viewpoints
- Comprehension
- Visualising Data
- Collapsing Distances
- Answering Questions
- Open Up Conversations
- Condensing Information
- A Catalyst for information
- Understanding or attempting to Understand
Identifying these traits through his entire catalogue of artworks, Lewis’s theories of the ‘Informative Encounter’ continued to evolve and develop. Lewis’s artworks seem to interact and behave in a means that conforms to a theory of translating scientific information into something visual in an attempt to convey information to its viewer. If we were to think then of the audience in one room and a wealth of scientific information in another room, does that make the artworks and Lewis’s practice (as well as any other artist working with this technique) a doorway? Possibly metaphorically.
It’s important to note here that this is not the only possible doorway into this room of scientific information. A simple internet search could be another metaphorical doorway. Either way, this is why Lewis feels his work is a conduit. Attempting to connect the two and allowing the viewer to gain a new understanding of scientific information. However, sometimes the work itself will not be able to communicate the entirety of the subject matter. Instead, it could offer snippets to the viewer, enough to open up conversations that may lead them to further research of the subject matter.
“My artworks seem to interact and behave in a means that conforms to the theory of translating scientific information into something visual in an attempt to convey information to its viewer. If we were to think then of the audience in one room and a wealth of scientific information in another room, does that make me and my practice (as well as any other artist working with this technique) a doorway? Possibly metaphorically. It’s important to note here that we are not the only possible doorways into this room of scientific information. A simple internet search could be another metaphorical doorway. Either way, this is why I feel my work is a conduit. Attempting to connect the two and allowing the viewer to gain a new understanding of scientific information. However, sometimes the work itself will not be able to communicate the entirety of the subject matter. Instead, it could offer snippets to the viewer, enough to open up conversations that may lead them to further research of the subject matter.”
- Sample from Lewis’s thesis “Attempting to Image the Impossible”. 2021.
‘Scientia’ resulted from Lewis’s ongoing research into the ‘Informative Encounter’. Each month of the year, a book is selected with (if possible) a different subject matter within the realm of science than the prior book. Lewis’s practice would then attempt to translate information, theories, stories and data from the activity of reading these books into artwork. Each artwork should in turn have at its heart one of the ten traits previously identified in an attempt to stimulate an ‘Informative Encounter’.
Contents
August 2022.
Dark Matter & Dark Energy:
The Hidden 95% of Our Universe
Brian Clegg
Atoms
297mm x 420mm.
Text. 2022.
Halo I - V
420mm x 594mm.
Digitally Enhanced Drawing. 2022.
The 'Halo' series of digitally enhanced drawings touch upon the theorized properties of dark matter and its ability to hold galaxy clusters within a series of threads, filaments, and halo-like shapes. Zooming out, if you could visualize this architecture of our universe, it would appear to almost be a vast cosmic web.
Redshift I - VIII
210mm x 297mm.
Indian Ink & Ink on Watercolour Paper. 2022.
The 'Redshift' drawings visualize the very distant galaxies of the universe. The further photons of light travel across the cosmos, the more redshifted the light becomes on the spectrum. With Dark energy accelerating the expansion of the universe, there will come a time in the far future long after humanity that all galaxies apart from our own may become redshifted.
September 2022.
H20:
A Biography of Water.
Philip Ball
Frozen Moon
420mm x 594mm.
Digital Artwork. 2022.
'Frozen Moon' highlights and reaffirms that water is not just present on our planet within our solar system or the cosmos. With frozen icy moons orbiting our gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, 'Frozen moon' attempts to visualize fictional icy moons of distant planets just waiting to be discovered.
The Water in Your Body is Temporary
210mm x 290mm.
Indian Ink, Ink and Pencil on Watercolour Paper. 2022. x4
'The Water in Your Body is Temporary', as the name suggests, highlights the often overlooked fact that the water within your body is only temporarily within you before making another journey of its own. either still as a water molecule, part of another molecule, or separated into hydrogen and oxygen (which in turn get used in countless ways by the body). However, this piece reflects the journeys those molecules of water have already made before entering your body as well as the journeys they will make when they leave.
