On paper, it may seem that science and art are polar opposites, but when they are brought together in a visual form, the two subjects make perfect sense. That is the case for the new exhibition at the Nassau County Museum of Art titled “Energy: The Power of Art,” on display through Nov. 3.
In a groundbreaking effort for a fine arts museum, top-tier science and major art by Jackson Pollock, Alexander Calder, Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist, Julie Mehretu, Frank Stella, Joseph Cornell and Man Ray will be fused into one dynamic and interactive exhibition. Working with the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Tesla Museum, this innovative project juxtaposes masterworks in many media with images produced by the most advanced scientific instruments, and even an active “cloud chamber,” to explore the supposedly “invisible” world of energy.
“My art is energy made visible,” Pollock famously declared. Miya Ando, whose unforgettable aurora borealis installation embodies the energy of the heavens, is one of several works commissioned for this show.
Other highlights include monumental paintings by Richard Pousette-Dart, Julie Mehretu, James Rosenquist and Doug Argue, Stella’s most recent sculpture, a rare portfolio by Man Rayand watercolors created directly for NASA by Barbara Prey. The laboratory of Nikola Tesla is re-created, using some of his historic instruments and spectacular images from a “beamline” at Brookhaven capture the beauty of physics. The science of art meets the art of science in one power-packed show.
The Nassau County Museum of Art is located at One Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. For more information, visit www.nassaumuseum.org.
