Dark Matter

As humans we experience only a small sliver of the universe. The vast majority of spacetime’s contents and mechanisms, be they far into the future, eons in the past, unfathomably small, or lightyears away, are not available to us. Still, we and our surroundings are affected by the presence of forces outside of our plane of existence. I am fascinated by nature and its strange habits, and I am inspired by our efforts to understand the odd clockwork of the universe despite the clear discrepancy between it and the modest senses nature has bestowed upon us. We are meant to know only what can directly change our day to day existence, yet by working off of one another’s curiosity over the course of generations, it is possible for us unworthy apes to go beyond our senses and begin to explore nature’s inner workings. Through us, the universe attempts to understand itself.

Originally made while contemplating dark matter, a form of matter we cannot directly interact with though it keeps entire galaxies from flinging apart into space, ceramic magnets were suspended and exposed to iron filings. Clinging to the magnets according to the surrounding magnetic fields, the iron filings could then be manipulated and coerced into unique shapes and patterns. Additional magnets could then be introduced to the suspended filings, which then could support additional filings- each a link in a chain made possible by the invisible force of magnetism, all influenced by gravity’s pull. 

Dark Matter is an ongoing series of photographs born from a combined awe of the natural world and a bittersweet frustration at the wondering of what is still out there to understand, or perhaps more, what we are unable to. 

A tower of gray bricks with a furry, textured object resembling a face or animal with protruding spikes or feathers hanging beneath it.
A black and gray stuffed animal resembling a bear with a fur texture, holding a small black object, and upside down, against a plain light background.
An artistic, black and white image of irons filings exploding out from dark brick like ceramic magnets
Object covered in a fuzzy, dust-like substance with a rectangular shape at the top.
Close-up of a textured black and gray sculpture against a plain beige background.
Close-up of a dark, glossy surface with textured, silvery, flower-like formations on the left and right edges.
A dog-shaped sculpture covered in textured, fur-like material with a reflective black background.
A black and gray technological object covered in icy frost or ice crystals, with a dark background.
A hand holding a black mug with a spoon inside, viewed from above, with a notepad or notebook on a wooden surface in the background.
A tall black sculpture resembling a chimney, covered with frost or ice, with a textured base against a black background.
A sculpture of a figure with a box for a head, covered in textured grass and standing on a reflective surface against a black background.
Close-up view of water bubbles on a black background, creating a textured and shimmering surface.
A dark abstract sculpture with a textured, fur-like surface and a box-like structure at the top.
A black and white artistic rendering of a furry figure with a blocky head and elongated body, set against a black background.
Close-up of a metallic cube surrounded by red and blue crystalline structures, illuminated with neon blue and red lighting against a peach background.
A digital artwork featuring a black electrical plug entangled with green and blue moss-like plant growths, set against a pink background with a mirror-like reflection.
An abstract digital art sculpture resembling a tall, segmented figure with a spiky top and bottom, illuminated with vibrant blue and red lighting against a gradient background.
A digital art piece resembling a stylized lion's face with a mane made of black and blue textured lines, on a gradient background.
Two black batteries surrounded by green pine branches on a gradient background.
Colorful artistic sculpture of a person with a plant and a briefcase, created with a textured, abstract style, set against a teal background.
A digitally edited close-up of a life preserver with a furry texture on a green and yellow gradient background.
A tall, rectangular block painted red and green, resembling a lighthouse, surrounded by green foliage against a yellow background.
A stack of colored chalks tied together with a string, with decorative dry plants at the base, against a bright blue background.