Shrouded Wonders





Pulsar

A highly magnetised neutron star, the result of a star collapsing and compressing during a supernova. At each magnetic axis of the neutron star an electromagnetic beam is emitted that, due to the high rotation speed, spins at unimaginable speeds. Because of this, we can only observe the beams at intervals when they point in the direction of the earth, much like a light-house.





A distant star (V645 Cen)

Our nearest star is obviously the Sun, a wonder we can scrutinise relatively well, but our next nearest star Proxima Centauri (V645 Cen) is a massive 4.2 light years away. Here I try to visualise another star, something relatively impossible unless speed-of-light travel is developed.





Molecular Clouds

These types of interstellar clouds are sometimes called star nurseries. Their size and density allows for the creation of molecules - resulting in new stars forming. Here I have imagined a distant molecular cloud surrounded by new stars. This image is based on my own creation, contrasting from the other images that are based on existing discoveries.




Above: "Shrouded Wonders" installation

Shrouded Wonders visualises the unseen discoveries of the Universe. Exposing vast intergalactic terrains and scrutinising its smallest details, the project utilises everyday objets and materials that otherwise would hold little significance to us, transforming the uninteresting into things of visual pleasure. By doing this, the work comments on the lack of interest in things we perceive as inconsequential, and the visual beauty we search for.

In the first part of this project, I designed an interactive space through which viewers could see and hear various astronomical phenomena. The space provided a small glimpse into the realities of space and allowed viewers to discover strange yet enticing places that have yet to be photographed by man.

Created on the basis of extensive research, each photograph visualises a different unreachable corner of the Universe.



The second part of this project consists of strange rocks found deep within the distant areas of space shown in the first. Here a contrast is made between the spectacle and the ignored, two areas I targeted with each approach. These rocks are shot clinically and are fully revealing, yet because of this they have a certain ambiguity.