Reconstruction Of The Surface Of The Sun
Do you remember being told as a child never to look directly at the surface of the sun, as it will make you go blind? Looking at the sun on a hot summers day can certainly damage your eyes.
But the sun is so intriguing, I have seen great pictures of fire emanating from the surface of that great heavenly body, but what must it be like to see the real thing?
One can only imagine in one’s mind what it would be like to gaze at that the surface of that massive Kaleidoscope of fire we call the sun.
Well to get your imaginative juices flowing Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has created a scaled down version of the real thing. He has reconstructed the suns surface with a massive balloon.
But this is no bland, abstract ball in the sky, he has made it look very real. By projecting unpredictable animations on to the surface of the balloon, he has simulated the effects of a real burning fireball, emitting unpredictable intense heat, and electromagnetism from it’s core, right through to it’s surface.
The work of art is entitled Solar Equation, and the great thing about it is, you can view the whole process from an app on your phone.
The artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer says “While pertinent environmental questions of global warming, drought, or UV radiation might arise from the contemplation of this piece, Solar Equation intends to likewise evoke romantic environments of ephemerally, mystery, and paradox.”
I feel there certainly is a theatrical and magical warmth created by this piece, that adds to the mystery of what it would really be like to gaze at the burning surface of the sun.
