Rutherford Experiment
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Rutherford Experiment, 2012
installation shot, Rodeo Gallery, Istanbul. (60cm x 94cm x 134cm) Indian Ink on paper, lacquer on mdf, ply and pine, 7.5cm LCD monitor, gold leaf, acrylic cube
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Rutherford Experiment, 2012
installation shot, Rodeo Gallery, Istanbul. (60cm x 94cm x 134cm) Indian Ink on paper, lacquer on mdf, ply and pine, 7.5cm LCD monitor, gold leaf, acrylic cube
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Rutherford Experiment, 2012
installation shot, Rodeo Gallery, Istanbul. (60cm x 94cm x 134cm) Indian Ink on paper, lacquer on mdf, ply and pine, 7.5cm LCD monitor, gold leaf, acrylic cube
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Rutherford Experiment, 2012
installation shot, Rodeo Gallery, Istanbul. (60cm x 94cm x 134cm) Indian Ink on paper, lacquer on mdf, ply and pine, 7.5cm LCD monitor, gold leaf, acrylic cube
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Rutherford Experiment, 2012
installation shot, Rodeo Gallery, Istanbul. (60cm x 94cm x 134cm) Indian Ink on paper, lacquer on mdf, ply and pine, 7.5cm LCD monitor, gold leaf, acrylic cube
MARK AERIAL WALLER, RUTHERFORD EXPERIMENT
Indian Ink on paper, lacquer on mdf, ply and pine, 7.5cm LCD monitor, gold leaf, acrylic cube
RUTHERFORD EXPERIMENT
[2012] Indian Ink on paper, lacquer on mdf, ply and pine, 7.5cm LCD monitor displaying video data from NASA SDO spacecraft of the sun, gold leaf, acrylic cube
(60cm x 94cm x 134cm)
In 1909 Ernest Rutherford led the scientist team of Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden to probe the structure of the atom. Positively charged alpha particles were fired at a thin piece of gold foil. Although many of the alpha particles passed through as expected, some were unexpectedly reflected by the gold, proving that the atom was made of a nucleus, with a relatively large gap between it and the electrons around.
What is interesting to me is the consequence this has on our understanding of matter itself. The experiment proves that matter is largely made of nothing. Even within the atom itself there are large expanses of void. This sculpture is developed from a 3 dimensional diagram of the experiment, bringing together matter, in the form of gold foil with radiating particles from the television screen and the image of our local radiation source, the sun.