Process

I decided to base my composition idea on what I was utilizing in the lab course I am currently taking. In this course I tested samples with varying instruments to determine concentrations and components of certain substances. The specific instrument I decided to use was the UV-visible spectrophotometer, a machine that measures the emitted light of the molecule and converts it into how much light it has absorbed. This absorbance can thus be used to calculate the concentration of what is being analyzed within the sample.

I researched the Bauhaus art movement as an inspiration for my artwork, creating a very structured piece of work utilizing various shapes and lines. Bauhaus artists such as Josef Albers utilized colors and geometric shapes into their pieces. His “color theory” greatly influenced my choice of color in representing the diffracting of the main beam of light as it passes through the sample. The juxtaposition of colored squares Albers’s Homage to the Square inspired me to also utilize individual shapes to make up the overall objects. To add more depth into my piece, I added texture to these geometric shapes to create a sensation similar to that of a painted canvas. I wanted to emulate Albers’s style in incorporating the palette knife textures into his paintings of the squares.

The shooting a beam of light and its separation when passing through the sample describes the process of breaking down complex substances into its simplest forms. In order to stay with the theme of simple forms, I decided to reflect that in my work by using as little detail as possible. Each shape is clearly defined and does not go beyond its shape. I tried to stay away from my usual painting to a more abstract and geometric style. I utilized very strong and vibrant colors; ones that would capture the audience upon first glance. This use of color for the light coming out of the sample represents both the actual process of spectrophotometry and the splitting of a complex object into its individual components.

The separation of light is simplified into basic polygonal shapes, to represent it in its most “honest” form without affecting its nature in any way. I believed that this would aid the audience in understanding the underlying meaning behind this piece. The light is in its most truthful form, so I decided to keep it as a single shape to represent a single beam of light. It was necessary to do so because I wanted to be able to convey the idea that anything complex can be reduced to its simplest form.