Transient Knowledge

2015

paper, plaster, aluminum, steel

68" x 32" x 34"

$9,000

In the realm of academia, a scientist may labor for years on a project that results in a published journal paper. This cycle is repeated thousands of times per year. But within a few years, the knowledge contained in that paper is likely forgotten or obsolete.

In this large-scale work, I am exploring the relationship between our society at large and the relentless machine that is modern science. The published paper is a clinical investigation, but it also encompasses the dreams and ambitions of the person who wrote it.

This work is composed of approximately 8,000 fragments of prestigeous scientific journals published over the last 20 years. While the piece is physically large, it is also extremely lightweight at under 10 pounds, with walls less than an inch thick. Thus this weighty subject matter is transformed into a transient substance that is easily lost.