NEWTON HARRISON (1932-2022)
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The AlloSphere Research Group sends it sincerest condolences to the family of Newton Harrison, who recently passed away. A pioneer of the Ecological Art Movement, Newton was our visionary collaborator on a new paradigm-shifting project — the Sensorium. The work of Newton and his wife Helen Harrison (1927-2018) focused on the significance of artists’ insight in society’s more important world problems, culminating in 50 years of research into the world oceans and how the life web has been exploited by humankind. They firmly believed the world’s oceans can heal themselves. The question is: Can humans help accelerate the process?
“I began the Sensorium work investigating what science has done and not done, and recognized that pure research, the kind that led to everything — from the discovery of gravity to the complexities of quantum physics — rarely happens. In science today, monies and desires of funders rule. This has resulted in a situation where responses to ocean degeneration are always behind the curve of ocean degradation (i.e. pollution, acidification, deoxygenation, dramatic reduction of species) and problems proceed at a greater pace than regenerative efforts possible can. Sensorium gets ahead of this curve in the way it free associates, improvises, and then, through unexpected juxtapositions, comes up with resolutions and, above all, imagery, visualizations, and solutions not presently able to be visualized and theorized upon, ultimately leading to a regenerated heat-impacted ocean, where what has been taken from it is less than it requires for its own well-being to continue through time.”
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THE SENSORIUM IN THE ALLOSPHERE
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This collaboration represents a paradigm shift in scientific exploration and artistic discovery focusing on the arts as the main driver for unfolding complex systems. This is vitally important for the next level of research needed to save the world’s oceans. Building on my artistic/scientific research in designing the AlloSphere instrument and software infrastructure, this significant partnership utilizes the best practices of arts research, integrating artist Robert Rauschenberg’s concept of assemblage and composer/architect Iannis Xenakis’ concept of composing complex systems with 21st century science and technology innovation.
World oceans research is a multi-dimensional problem that involves many layers of data that must be integrated in such a way that new and creative answers to questions regarding ocean sustainability will unfold. Currently, most scientific research views these questions in single silos. Applying the artistic concept of assemblage offers a new approach. Gathering and arranging the data in a spatiotemporal system that is interactive facilitates a holistic strategy for approaching world oceans research.
The artistic concept of narrative is of paramount importance in understanding and assimilating the data intuitively and interacting with it on a human scale. Humans have an uncanny sense of discovering anomalies through scanning and using all of the senses to perceive and process complex information.
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Giving Opportunities in Support of the AlloSphere
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No matter how large or how small, every gift makes a difference!
Your gift may help to support Graduate Student Researchers, Postdoctoral Researchers, and much needed equipment within our lab facilities. You may specify how you would like the donated funds to be used.
To make a direct donation to the AlloSphere, Please contact me by clicking on the following support link.
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We’re very proud to showcase our continuing progress. Feel free to share this newsletter.
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Dr. JoAnn Kuchera-Morin
Director, Allosphere Research Laboratory
California Nanosystems Institute
Distinguished Professor, Media Arts and Technology and Music
Director, Center for Research in Electronic Art Technology
University of California, Santa Barbara
(805) 893-3010
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