view the full collection of over 1000 images here… 

Astronomers have used spinning stars called pulsars to create a galaxy-sized gravitational wave detector, revealing the presence of ripples in space-time across the entire universe. This project ‘Cymatic Water & Light’ creates experiments in the studio to emulate the process in the study of wave phenomena. These works are created using physics, photography, liquid and light alone, without the use of CGI, AI or any other form of digital production.

Gravitational waves were detected with solid data for the first time on earth by the LIGO (USA) & VIRGO (Italy) observatory scientists on June 28th 2023 a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein's 1916 theory of relativity.

Images used to explain gravitational waves from NASA & the science community in general have all been created with CGI or AI and are lacking the realism needed to visually convey this important discovery confirming Einstein’s work. I therefore decided to explore the physics behind gravitational waves in the studio by creating these waves in a more visible & easily understood way through cymatics using only physics and a camera to clearly demonstrate these waves.

The confirmation of the existence of gravitational waves is a very important discovery in the scientific community. Albert Einstein predicted them in 1916 in his general theory of relativity. 

You can view the ‘Cymatic Water & Light’ artworks released from the series on the Distil Ennui Studio website.

A catalogue of selected artworks has been released by the artist as a collection of unique ‘one-off’ prints, and is available to view here in an illustrated pdf.

Read a conversation with the artist and writer, curator Paul Carey-Kent ‘From water to the universe’ for Seisma Magazine…