See Why Physics and Art Belong Together

Confusion, lost in spaceCollaboration of Physics and Art 1
Lost in space. Starting the collaboration,I felt a bit lost.

Collaboration of Physics and Art 1

My Collaboration of Physics and Art 1 began June 13, 2018. I am an art quilter and fiber artist.  Physics PhD candidate, Benjamin Lehmann, University of California, Santa Cruz was my collaborator, (I have read far too many World War II books to not get stuck on the multiple meanings of the word, collaborate. I must get past that.) UCSC Physics professor, Stephanie Bailey,initiator of the idea,explained,

“This project aims to enable people to access and engage with physics through  art and to think about the role physics plays in our lives and world at large.”
I plan on blogging about our collaboration. I hope that it proves to be of interest.
Collaboration of Physics and Art 1

The Artist’s Short Bio

Professor Bailey initiated the collaboration with a call of interest to local artists. I responded in order to connect more with the field of my daughter’s boyfriend. My own background is in the Humanities,History and Spanish. I started sewing in high school. Later I took up traditional bed quilting. About ten years ago, I initiated my foray into art quilts. In 2012, I retired from teaching elementary school.

Searching for the New

Since then I have been a full time art quilter. I never took physics in high school. Feeling ready to try something new,I really had no idea what I had signed up for. While being open to the experience, I didn’t know what to expect. What will I be able to create? Will the scientist be creating art as well? The timing for the project was compatible with my schedule. I was open to taking a new direction in my art.  The plan is to complete the project with a show in January, 2019.

City Lights, a fabric art quilt

Imagining a Plan

At first,I considered which of my pieces might align best with “space shots”. Then I decided that the abstract pieces or fabric layering technique creating scenes would work best. I feared I would have problems coming up with ideas. Then at least I could fall back on what I had already done. While it feels safe to have ideas before I start, I want to keep my options open to be inspired to move in new directions.

This is the process that I could use. Imagine stars instead of jellies.

What Could I Do?

However, so many questions remained. How many pieces of art would be expected? How many other pairs of collaborators would there be? As if she heard my questions, Professor Bailey communicated a list of 15  local artists. I recognized several friends of mine on the list. Their work, painting and fused glass  is very different from mine. I will focus on what lends itself to fiber. I will not be too concerned about completely a certain number of works.

Upon reflection, I am struck by the greater  meaning of our collaboration. How do people of different points of view and experience come together ?  How do we learn to work closely  together?  Ultimately, how can we learn to see the world through the eyes of someone different from ourselves?

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/03/a-scientifically-inspired-art-quiltatlas-in-rose/

Professor Stephanie Bailey Sadly, Dr.Bailey has left the teaching field.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/09/ucsc-lecturer-leads-collaboration/

Benjamin Lehmann http://www.physics.ucsc.edu/academic-programs/grads/directory-page.php

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

By Ann

Ann Baldwin May was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. She received her education from University of California, Irvine (History, BA Elementary Teaching Credential, Masters in Teaching Spanish) Her first quilting class was in 1975. She retired in 2012 after working 30 years as a bilingual teacher and Bilingual Resource Teacher in Watsonville. After making over 300 bed quilts, she turned her attention to art quilts. Ann is passionate about using repurposed materials often from the San Francisco Design Center. She has won several awards for her work. Kaiser Permanente has purchased five pieces for their Santa Cruz County facilities. Her work has been juried into shows all over the country including San Francisco and Chicago. She participates in the juried Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour. She is married and has two daughters. Ann Baldwin May Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center St.#4 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 baldwinmay49@yahoo.com 831.345.1466 annbaldwinmayartquilts.com Facebook- AnnBaldwinMayArtQuilts@annbaldwinmay Instagram-annbaldwinmay

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