Royal Academician Conrad Shawcross has created two newly commissioned works for Lakeside Arts' Cosmic Titans: Art, Science and the Quantum Universe exhibition. Find out more about the renowned British artist.
Conrad Shawcross (b. 1977, London) is known for his intricate, thought-provoking sculptures, installations, and large-scale public art projects that often explore themes of science, philosophy, and the intersection of reality and human perception. His work spans across multiple disciplines, blending art, science, and engineering in innovative ways. Shawcross is particularly recognized for his use of geometry, mechanical processes, and the exploration of complex systems and abstract concepts.
The Blind Proliferation, 2024 by Conrad Shawcross. Photo by Nick Dunbar
The Blind Proliferation, 2024 by Conrad Shawcross. Photo by Nick Dunbar
One of Shawcross’s most defining features is his use of mathematical structures and the process of automation. His sculptures often involve moving parts, gears, and motors, turning them into living entities. He has created several large-scale public installations, including works exhibited at major institutions such as the Ministry of Justice in London and the Oxford Science Park. His two latest works are being displayed as part of the Cosmic Titans: Art, Science and the Quantum Universe exhibition installed here at Lakeside Arts until 27 April.
Ringdown, 2024
Ringdown explores the final moments of two spiralling black holes before they merge in a dramatic event that warps time and creates gravitational waves- ripples travelling across spacetime. Constructed from steel, aluminium, bronze, mechanical and audio systems, Ringdown reminds us that art and science alike strive to gain insights into abstract, intangible realms that lie beyond our grasp. With their distinct tools, both disciplines push the limits of understanding and imagination, challenging us to confront the unknown in multiple ways.
The Blind Proliferation, 2024
The Blind Proliferation is a triple chambered work. On either side of the central chamber, are two identical, mirrored, spaces, portraying the office of an anonymous mathematician. Due to the solid partitions between the chambers, it is impossible to see from one room into another, so they remain autonomous and segregated. Only the shadows that spill out and over give any clue that there is something beyond. The mathematician can only see the shadows created by the mechanism, not the mechanism itself. The mechanism has grown from Shawcross’ ‘Slow Arc’ series, which took its initial inspiration from the words of biochemist Dorothy Hodgkin, who once described her experience of working on the spatial structure of the insulin molecule as being ‘like trying to deduce the structure of a tree from only seeing its shadow.’
Find out more about Cosmic Titans: Art, Science and the Quantum Universe and read Leftlion magazine’s review of the exhibition here
Ringdown, 2024 by Conrad Shawcross. Photo by Nick Dunbar
Ringdown, 2024 by Conrad Shawcross. Photo by Nick Dunbar
