Organized by Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences
#deeptime
@cpnas
Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences announces “Imagining Deep Time,” a new exhibition featuring 18 works by 15 artists that explores the role of the artist in helping us imagine the vast geological timescale, a concept beyond the realm of human experience. The exhibition opens Aug. 28, 2014, and will remain on view through Jan. 15, 2015, at the National Academy of Sciences.
This blog will provide a platform for information and discussion regarding the exhibition and the intersection between art and the concept of deep time. It will provide a landing page for CPNAS social media (use #deeptime and @cpnas)
From a human perspective, mountain ranges seem unchanging and permanent; yet, in the context of geological time, such landscapes are merely fleeting. Their change occurs on a scale far beyond human experience. While we measure time in terms of years, days, and minutes, geological change occurs within the scale of deep time, of long cycles framing the gradual movement of evolutionary change.
The concept of deep time was introduced in the 18th century, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that American writer John McPhee coined the term “deep time” in his book Basin and Range. Through the lens of artists who bring together rational and intuitive thinking, this exhibition looks at the human implications of deep time. The artists featured are Chul Hyun Ahn, Alfredo Arreguín, Diane Burko, Alison Carey, Terry Falke, Arthur Ganson, Sharon Harper, Mark Klett, Rosalie Lang, David Maisel, the artistic team Semiconductor, Rachel Sussman, Jonathon Wells, and Byron Wolfe. Works in the exhibition use a wide range of styles and media including sound, photography, painting, printmaking, and sculptures made of everyday materials such as mirrors, LED lights, motors, and gears.
“Imagining Deep Time” will be on exhibit at the recently restored NAS Building, located at 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., Aug. 28, 2014, through Jan. 15, 2015. The galleries are open weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. A photo ID is required for admittance. Download the exhibition catalog with an essay by curator JD Talasek. A hard copy of the catalogue is also available upon request.
Media Contact:
Alana Quinn, Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences 202-334-2415; aquinn@nas.edu
Related Event: Attend a D.C. Art Science Evening Rendezvous exploring deep time on Sept. 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the NAS Building. The program features presentations by Olga Ast, conceptual interdisciplinary artist, New York City; Magdalena Donahue, Ph.D. candidate in geology, department of earth and planetary sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; Rachel Sussman, contemporary artist, New York City; and Byron Wolfe, photographer, associate professor, and program director, photography department, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia. Registration and a photo ID are required.
The Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences sponsors exhibitions, concerts, and other events that explore relationships among the arts and sciences. For more information, call 202-334-2436 or visit www.cpnas.org. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and -- with the National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council -- provides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.
