Q & A: Sukant Saran
Have you always balanced science and art activities in your life?
I grew up in an environment enriched by literature, poetry and other arts and developed an appreciation of the arts very early. I learnt science in school, liked it and studied for my post- graduation in physics. In my abstract pen- works I depicted mental and spiritual imagery. These were the externalization of non- verbal, mental pictures, formed inside, in response to a variety of life experiences. This was an intensely personal art. The engagement with science also continued and in 1985 I joined the doctoral program at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. Looking back, I see that I was attracted to the conceptual and the philosophical aspects of science more than its technical ones. At that time my art and science developed concurrently but separately, though there was no conflict. I have always been able to straddle the two worlds without much effort.
What inspired you to start making physics- inspired sculptures, and how are they made?
In 1990 I dropped out of the Ph. D. program due to various circumstances, without submitting a thesis. Also, my commitment to explore and develop my art was getting stronger. Later, I took an editorial job at TIFR which gave me the opportunity to do both, science and art, in a way that I liked and at my own pace.
It was a desire to properly illustrate the scientific reports I was making that led me to play with images directly connected to science, addressed to scientifically trained or inclined people. Thus, along with my abstract art, the science- based digital art also started developing.
Around 2010 the two strands of my work started coming together, and, after some experimentation with various materials, I ended up making handbuilt clay sculptures. My sculptures are, in a sense, amalgamation of my abstract pen- works and the digital art. I do not fire my sculptures.
I am fascinated by the idea of juxtaposing modern scientific concepts and the ancient medium of clay. I strive to find a balance between the aesthetic form and the scientific content. I always hope that my sculptures would make a connection with those who are not aware of the underlying science.
Please give a few examples of your sculptures that you are sharing with us and explain what they represent about physics concepts.
i. Einstein’s theories of relativity fused space, time and matter, in unusual ways. It is understood that space- time, created at the Big Bang, has been expanding ever since. This peculiar and counter- intuitive notion posits that any observer in the universe would find space expanding in all directions. The sculpture Space I incorporates the notions of space, geometry and expansion.
ii. The nature of space at a very small scale is rather bizarre. Space is thought to be permeated by quantum fields. It has been theorized that virtual particles are being incessantly produced and destroyed in the so called empty space. They cannot be observed directly but their cumulative effect has been measured. The sculpture Space II depicts the ceaseless activity of the vacuum at an ultramicroscopic scale.
iii. For a physicist, time is the fourth dimension, in addition to the three of space, and is represented by a line. Nevertheless, perception of time is very different and has deep connections with consciousness and memory. The sculpture Time emphasizes the distinction between physical and psychological time. The smooth cylinder represents the linear time of physics and the curvy projections depict the way the mind perceives time.
iv. The ability to draw wires out of metals has numerous applications but the physics has remained rather obscure. The sculpture Ductility imagines the interior of a stretching wire, where microscopic crystalline “chips” of metal slide past each other in an orchestrated manner.
“The sculpture Time emphasizes the distinction between physical and psychological time.”
How did your recent exhibition go at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai? Any more exciting plans ahead?
The exhibition “Sculpting Science: An Experiment in Art” was held at TIFR from June 1 to 14,
2022. Twenty four sculptures were displayed in
seven groups. Each group was accompanied by a write- up in simple language explaining the scientific context of the sculptures. The exhibition was viewed by scientists, artists, researchers, school students and the general public. It received a very positive and enthusiastic response. It was very satisfying to see the confluence of art and science being readily recognized and appreciated.
The viewers could relate to the sculptures at various levels; scientific, philosophical, and aesthetic.
Till now, I have concentrated mostly on physics, mathematics and biology. In the future, I would like to explore geology and other earth sciences; to make sculptures that reflect upon and interpret the scientific understanding of earth systems.