This is part two of a series that intertwines the 1905 papers published by Einstein with black and white analog art photography. For this story I explore Einstein’s proof for the existence of atoms and molecules. My artistic work emphasizes non-representational depictions supported by multiple exposures of black and white photos on the same negative.
My choice of four pictures conceptualizes the creation of abstraction by adding dimensions to the flat surface of a picture. This work is an architectural study exploring three techniques: Using multiple exposures of the same or similar buildings, superimposing different angles, and the use of brightness of the dawning sky to get an over-burning in two exposures with top-down symmetry.
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Since 1857, the discovery of the Brownian motion was a scientific mystery. Einstein showed that the movement of macroscopic particles in liquids happened due to the interaction of the invisible molecules and atoms in random constant motion around them. Starting from the concept of osmotic pressure and diffusion, he realized that it sometimes happened that due to statistical fluctuations a group of invisible molecules could all move in the same direction for some time, while another group repeated the same behavior in a different direction.
In such an ambience, a visible object would rarely move much as it is walled inside the random and suppressing movement of the invisible particles. But occasionally, influenced by different groups of invisible atoms stubbornly moving on their own direction, the visible particle will exhibit a coordinated zigzag motion path.
Lisbon — Rua Augusta Arch; Cais do Sodré Arch; Cais do Sodré Arch
In my conception, represented in the technique above, the parallel planes multiple exposure aims to equal the pressure of the most populated part of a photograph, or more visible, with parts less populated, or more invisible, from other exposure. Burning caused by blue in the sky and clouds is what remains motionless. Fortunately statistically the greatest probability is filling spaces with more information.
The work above is a triple exposure featuring two viaducts in Cais do Sodré, supporting the end of Rua da Alegria, and the Arco de Rua Augusta in Terreiro do Paço. Three attempts were made to adjust the exposure settings. It’s important to note that between each attempt, the negatives had to be developed and prints had to be made in the darkroom to judge the results. The following image is the second proof from the third attempt. One f-stop was reduced from the Rua Augusta exposure, resulting in better understanding of the details in the two pictures from Cais do Sodré.
Lisbon — Cais do Sodré Arch; Cais do Sodré Arch; Rua Augusta Arch
Einstein then proved that the movement of invisible atoms and molecules is what causes the pollen particles’ swarming motion on the surface of water, explaining Robert Brown’s observations on the microscope. Using statistical mathematics and the law that natural processes are irreversible, the genius proved his realization that, if the concentration of large particles in a solution varies, then molecules will flow to reach equilibrium among the atoms and molecules surrounding them.
This approach to the kinetic theory as statistical mechanics Einstein took, building on previous works such as Boltzmann’s probabilistic reinterpretation of the second law of thermodynamics, is a groundbreaking step in providing modern science with its best tools. From then on, statistics and probabilities will be the cornerstone on which the revolutionary discoveries in quantum mechanics became built upon.
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The intention of this next work is for the viewer to imagine a street corner by superimposing two facades at a ninety-degree angle. The focus of the work is directed towards the center of the image, where the maximum entropy is found at the edges while the minimum is found in the center. In fact, the vertical center line serves as the punctum, attracting the viewer’s gaze.
The presence of two upper corners burned by the clear sky, instead of the expected single one, together with the interruption of continuity of the building’s street wall on a crossroads sign effect, create an imbalance.
There is not much equilibrium, as the rules of shadows cause each exposure to completely dominate the other in almost the entire canvas, the exception being the central part. Four windows in the center are in a movement to bring them together. The unfortunate ones in front of them have leaped into the void, as if their energy reached the repulsive part of the interaction, the potential rising quickly as the gaze moves to the edges.
There is not much equilibrium, as the rules of shadows cause each exposure to completely dominate the other in almost the entire canvas, the exception being the central part. Four windows in the center are in a movement to bring them together. The unfortunate ones in front of them have leaped into the void, as if their energy reached the repulsive part of the interaction, the potential rising quickly as the gaze moves to the edges.
Lisboa — Cais do Sodré ; Two facades
Next step for Einstein would be to calculate how much and for how long the motion takes place. Explaining the motion in detail and accurately predicting the random motions of the particles let little doubts on the matter that Einstein set himself to prove: That atoms and molecules existed to explain the chemistry of the universe. Albeit, for the sake of simplicity, we have been talking of atoms and molecules, in 1905 their existence was still a controversial subject, not agreed upon by a large part of the scientific community. Some shared the vision that thermodynamics could be seen as simple transformation of energy. Now, applying Einstein’s formulas, the size of the invisible atoms could be calculated based on how much Brownian particles moved. Also, one could confirm that heat is the result of the motion of this invisible particles. Perrin, awarded in 1909 the Nobel prize, used Einstein’s calculation in is experiments on Brownian motion to provide an estimate of the Avogadro number of 7.15 x 1⁰²³.
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The top-down symmetry event in the final picture has more contrast as it was taken at early dawn. with a long exposure on a desert Rua de Santa Catarina in Oporto. Symmetry is diagonal as the second frame is obtained by rotating the camera by 180º related to the first one.
The perspective of infinite road is perfect to reduce at maximum the picture to one-dimensional. Objects are mirrored diagonally, dimensions are getting created with a whirlwind escape point in the horizon making two dimensions disappear in this point. So the details can be admired by scrolling the image from the closest edge to the farthest center.
Porto — Rua de Santa Catarina; Dawn
Original negatives are 120 b&w medium format 6x7cm. All images were scanned from negatives.