A Fire within the Eye
Petrified Tree, gold plated chain, candle, welded brass, 150 x 80 x 80 cm
Michael Whittle
Petrified Tree, gold plated chain, candle, welded brass, 150 x 80 x 80 cm
Michael Whittle
About the Work:
The title refers to the 5th century Greek philosopher Empedocles, who asserted that the goddess Aphrodite had lit a divine fire within the human eye. Esoteric visual rays were believed to emanate from the iris of the eye and interact with the rays given off by objects. These ideas were later developed in to the theory of ‘extramission’ by Greek thinkers, including Euclid and Ptolemy.
The central object of this project is a thin cross-section of 20-million-year-old petrified tree, complete with crystalline growth rings and bark-like edges. A specially designed stand will support the stone and a candle positioned behind it. Light from the candle will flicker through a central crack in the structure, which has been filled with clear resin to create a clear aperture.
Two small holes have been drilled in the plate to allow lengths of fine, gold chain to be attached to the top right and bottom left corners. The position of their connection relates to the position of the tear gland and tear duct of a human eye.
The title refers to the 5th century Greek philosopher Empedocles, who asserted that the goddess Aphrodite had lit a divine fire within the human eye. Esoteric visual rays were believed to emanate from the iris of the eye and interact with the rays given off by objects. These ideas were later developed in to the theory of ‘extramission’ by Greek thinkers, including Euclid and Ptolemy.
The central object of this project is a thin cross-section of 20-million-year-old petrified tree, complete with crystalline growth rings and bark-like edges. A specially designed stand will support the stone and a candle positioned behind it. Light from the candle will flicker through a central crack in the structure, which has been filled with clear resin to create a clear aperture.
Two small holes have been drilled in the plate to allow lengths of fine, gold chain to be attached to the top right and bottom left corners. The position of their connection relates to the position of the tear gland and tear duct of a human eye.
Michael WHITTLE
Michael Whittle is an artist and researcher specializing in Diagrammatology, the study of diagrams. He previously qualification and training as a Biomedical Scientist, before changing subject to study fine art. His artistic practice incorporates images, ideas, and data from science, as well as dialogues with scientists about their research interests and motivations. Recent projects include ‘Butterfly on the Sun’, a large-scale installation for the 2022 Changwon Sculpture Biennale developed in consultation with astrophysicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Ames Research Center. In 2023, Whittle co-founded ‘Pollen’ with artist-technologist Atticus Sims, an AI-powered creative studio in Kyoto, Japan. He is currently Associate Professor of Contemporary Art in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Macau.
Michael Whittle is an artist and researcher specializing in Diagrammatology, the study of diagrams. He previously qualification and training as a Biomedical Scientist, before changing subject to study fine art. His artistic practice incorporates images, ideas, and data from science, as well as dialogues with scientists about their research interests and motivations. Recent projects include ‘Butterfly on the Sun’, a large-scale installation for the 2022 Changwon Sculpture Biennale developed in consultation with astrophysicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Ames Research Center. In 2023, Whittle co-founded ‘Pollen’ with artist-technologist Atticus Sims, an AI-powered creative studio in Kyoto, Japan. He is currently Associate Professor of Contemporary Art in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Macau.
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