Experiences of the Unconscious: Joining Art and Physics

The following article was written by Jacob, an OPI Participant, after attending a lecture at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara, California.

On March 10, three residents of OPI traveled to Santa Barbara to hear a lecture at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) on algorithms in art. I was lucky enough to be one of the three invited to this wonderful event that was an enriching and thoughtful experience.

The introduction to the lecture was given by Dr. David Gross, a Nobel Laureate in Physics. The speakers, all artists, described how in their works there is a set of rules or algorithms that govern their works. Some of the main algorithms used were randomness algorithms, which play a prominent role in physics. Also related was how to use algorithms in hand drawings, which, while seeming difficult, is very straightforward. Afterwards, a show of the artwork was displayed in a gallery, and everyone in attendance was invited to look.

I was amazed by the entire program, especially how the worlds of art and physics were so closely related, especially through the common language of mathematics. It was extremely neat to actually even be in the same room with a Nobel Laureate, something I have wanted to do for a long time.

The lecture was intriguing, and it really got you to think about the workings of art and the foundations of physics. The similarities were striking, and it got me to think about the world being related in a way I had never thought of before. The speakers were all on top of their work and knew exactly what they were going to say. The lecture was one of the best I have ever attended.

Afterwards, we went upstairs to the gallery where we got to see the artwork up close. It was fantastic. It really set me back, as I was expecting something neat, but not something this fabulous. The intricacy of the works was far beyond what I had ever seen before and with most of the pieces, I found myself asking “How’d they do that?”

The whole experience was one that I felt gave me a true experience of being alive and appreciating the culture of both art and physics at the same time. I truly could not ask for more.