Astronomical Patterns in Art and Science

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11 months ago

Artistic representation for Astronomical Patterns in Art and Science

Werner Sun is an artist who began his career with folding origami and making geometric forms from construction paper. This early exposure to shapes and patterns led him to a career as both a scientist and an artist. The exhibition of his work, “How Did We Get Here?,” is on display at the Schweinfurth Art Center and Cayuga Museum of History & Art in Auburn, N.Y. until May 17, 2025. ### Scientific Background
Werner Sun is a particle physicist by training, having worked at Cornell University’s CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring. He earned his undergraduate degree in physics from Harvard and his PhD in physics from the California Institute of Technology. Currently, he serves as the IT director for the Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based Sciences and Education. ### A Blend of Art and Science
Sun’s work, which features digital photography and paper folding techniques, creates sculptural works that hang on the wall or dangle from the ceiling. The unique blend of art and science reflects his passion for perception and knowledge. #### The Art of Folding
Sun’s method of creating sculptural works involves folding his digital prints into geometric patterns. He follows an algorithm that preserves the connection between the shapes and uses photographs of a finished piece as source material for a new piece. #### A Tessellation Method
Sun has discovered a way of folding and cutting a single sheet that almost completely preserves the connection between the shapes. He uses a snub square pattern, which combines triangles and squares, to create a tessellation that repeats with one or more shapes and covers a plane with no gaps. #### Experimentation and Discovery
More experimentation followed until Sun made a discovery. He realized that he could create a single sheet of paper that could be folded and cut to create a geometric pattern. This discovery opened up new possibilities for his art and led to the creation of several series of works. ### Exhibitions and Events
The exhibition of Sun’s work is part of a joint committee selection, and it is the first of two exhibitions featuring emerging artists this year. Visitors can track the transition through his artwork by visiting both the Schweinfurth Art Center and Cayuga Museum of History & Art. #### Schweinfurth Art Center Exhibition
The Schweinfurth is displaying Sun’s pieces from the “Double Vision” series, which were created in 2018 and 2019 and feature multi-panel pieces that evoke a fragmented experience of looking. #### Cayuga Museum Exhibition
The Cayuga Museum hosts two different series of works: “Big Bang,” which channels his pandemic-era anxiety through photographs of a glitching computer monitor, and “Rose Window,” an extended improvisation on mathematical diagrams, landscape photographs, and calligraphic drawings/paintings. #### Artist’s Talk
Sun will give an artist’s talk about his work at 3 p.m. on May 3, starting at the Schweinfurth Art Center and moving to the Cayuga Museum. The talk is part of the grand opening celebration of the West End Arts Campus and is free and open to the public. #### Visiting Information
The exhibition is open from April 4 through May 17, 2025. Both the Schweinfurth Art Center and Cayuga Museum of History & Art are open to the public. The hours and admission information are as follows:

Schweinfurth Art Center	Cayuga Museum of History & Art
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays	Hours: 10 a.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays
Admission: $15 for joint admission to both facilities	Admission: Free

“Having my work displayed in both the Schweinfurth and Cayuga Museum makes the exhibition so much more interesting,” Sun said. “I love seeing how my geometric vocabulary interacts with the different architectural styles. It adds a whole new dimension to the work.”
Astronomical patterns in art and science often intersect and overlap, and Werner Sun’s work is a great example of this. His unique blend of art and science reflects his passion for perception and knowledge, and his creative process is both fascinating and inspiring. If you’re interested in exploring the intersection of art and science, be sure to visit Sun’s exhibition and learn more about his process and techniques.