Picture Profile: 1605 ‘Earthquake – the Elephant Moves’. Pint of Science Lecture, Cambridge 2016
SOLD: 1605 ‘Earthquake – the Elephant Moves’. Pint of Science Lecture, Cambridge 2016
The Scientist and the Artist
Artist Code: 1605. Completed May 2015. Original Water colour on Aquarelle Arches 100% Hot Pressed cotton rag paper. Unframed size 12” x 16”.
PINT OF SCIENCE LECTURE SERIES MAY 2016: The Boat House, Cambridge 25th May 2016.
It was wonderful to work with Dr Alex Copley in a complementary collaboration between Science and Art, and an honour to be part of such a vibrant and informative event run by Creative Reactions. In the twelfth century BC people believed that the earth was held up by an elephant (or other animal, for example, frog or llama) and that earthquakes happened when the animal moved. In 2016 we have moved forward and have much science and knowledge in understanding nature’s forces. Although man knows where the faults in the earth’s crust now are, he still insists on building along these faults! Science has provided much information on how to build stronger houses, but many poor places do not have the resources to do so, hence the sometimes huge death toll when disaster strikes. “Earthquake Safety Day” is celebrated in various places the world over, and in Nepal every year, but still Nature wreaks her devastation. This illumination, with traditional Asian border patterns, shows the “golden” areas in raised gold leaf of Alex’s research, namely Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat in India, and The Zagros Mountains and Lut Desert in Iran. Shell gold lines on the maps show rifts where earthquakes are likely to occur. A camel is jumping for its life as the earth opens during a tremor, and the geological stratification of mountains and rocks is depicted lower left.
My Blog Entries for this painting, which tell the story from inception to completion:
“Pint of Science 2016 – Update 1”
“Pint of Science 2016 – Update 2”
“Pint of Science 2016 – Update 3”
“Pint of Science 2016 – Update 4”
“Pint of Science 2016 – Update 5”
“Pint of Science 2016 – Update 6”
“Pint of Science 2016 – Update 7 PICTURE COMPLETED”
