Finis et Infinitus

“These paintings reference four of the many Swiss scientists who’ve contributed greatly to our understanding of the world: Leonhard Euler, Albert Einstein, Carl Jung, and Didier Queloz. The graphs, diagrams, handwritten notes, symbols, and marks are vestiges of each scientist’s inquiry. Science is one of our most precise and powerful tools for understanding the world. Art contributes its many offerings. They often seek the same frontier’s edge where the finite meets the infinite. What can be measured and known lies alongside inscrutable mystery. I don’t pretend to understand the depth of this scientific research, nor am I trying to illustrate it, but here I honor these scientists’ investigations and share in the general meanderings of a fellow explorer’s soul. Leonhard Euler Panel Born in Switzerland in 1707, Euler is considered one of the world’s greatest mathematicians. The equation named for him contains nine basic concepts of mathematics – once and only once – in a single expression. These are: e (the base of natural logarithms); the exponent operation; p; plus (or minus, depending on how you write it); multiplication; imaginary numbers; equals; one; and zero. Noted for his amazing memory, Euler did some of his most significant work after the age of fifty when he was entirely blind. In this painting I’ve included relevant mathematical diagrams, Euler’s handwritten notes, also his statement in Latin: Quanquam nobis in intima naturae mysteria penetrare, indeque veras caussas Phaenomenorum agnoscere neutiquam est concessum: tamen evenire potest, ut hypothesis quaedam ficta pluribus phaenomenis explicandis aeque satisfaciat, ac si vera caussa nobis esset perspecta. Translation: Although to penetrate into the intimate mysteries of nature and thence to learn the true causes of phenomena is not allowed to us, nevertheless it can happen that a certain fictive hypothesis may suffice for explaining many phenomena. Albert Einstein Panel Little explanation is required as to Swiss citizen Albert Einstein’s enormous contributions to science. Nearly synonymous with his name, the equation e=mc2 expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other. This painting includes Einstein’s handwritten notes and equations, an image referring to the effect of mass and gravity, and references to Einstein’s famous thought experiment where visualizing clocks on a moving train assisted in formulating the theory of relativity. Pendulus Panel This center painting is a mnemonic prompt to remember balance, stillness, and presence amidst the stunning bombardment of information, endless tasks, and omnipresent tug of gravity. Carl Jung Panel Through dream analysis and an understanding of deeply embedded archetypes, Swiss born Carl Jung created some of the best known concepts in the science of psychology. He posited that the meaningful interpretation of the images is usually the beginning of psychological healing and individuation. Another central step in this development of the psyche is an ability to integrate opposites while still maintaining their autonomy. This painting includes a labyrinth, which Jung thought to be a powerful archetype of the psyche, and a handprint, an image that connects us to our earliest recorded history and refers to Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious. Jung’s notes are also evident. Influential to this imagery are these quotes from Carl Jung: There is a thinking in primordial images, in symbols which are older than the historical man, which are inborn in him from the earliest times, eternally living, outlasting all generations, still make up the groundwork of the human psyche. It is only possible to live the fullest life when we are in harmony with these symbols; wisdom is a return to them. As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existenceis to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. Didier Queloz Panel Queloz, a Geneva-based astronomer, sees beyond our solar system. He is a living, modern-day planet seeker. Using radial velocity measurements (something like the Doppler effect), he co-discovered the first exo-planet: 51 Pegasi b, found in the constellation of Pegasus. It belongs to a class of planets called Hot Jupiters, and marked a breakthrough in astronomical research. An exo-planet is one tidally locked to its starsun and always presents the same face to it. When looking to the sky and the infinite enormity of space, Didier explores planetary formations far beyond our view of the treetops. — Lynda Lowe, August 2014 Lynda Lowe studied art history, painting, and drawing at the Academia della Bella Arte, Perugia, Italy. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Alma Collect, Michigan, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington. Her work is in numerous public and corporate collections, including those of Bain Capital, Boston, Massachusetts; Seattle University, Washington; Illinois State Museum, Springfield; Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, Illinois; and Graham Center Museum, Wheaton, Illinois. (Notes extrapolated from various sources.)