Quintessence

2022
Steel and Stainless Steel
10 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft

Quintessence is a contemporary steel sculpture inspired by the invisible forces and phenomena explored in particle physics. The work evokes the collision chamber of the Large Hadron Collider through a tall, geometric form constructed from steel square tubing, creating a minimal yet powerful structural frame. Capped at both ends with gleaming stainless steel spheres, the sculpture becomes a vessel, a chamber suspended in stillness yet alive with implied energy. At the heart of this form sits a rusted steel sphere, grounded and elemental, from which stainless steel rods burst outward in all directions, capturing the moment of explosive energy and transformation that occurs when particles collide at near light speed.

Balancing industrial materials with conceptual precision, Quintessence is a meditation on the fundamental building blocks of the universe and the human drive to understand them. The contrast between the rusted central sphere and the polished rods suggests both the chaos and clarity born from scientific discovery. The sculpture transforms an abstract scientific process into a tangible, visual narrative; one that speaks to both the violent beauty of particle collisions and the refined precision of the machinery designed to make such events observable. Through its material contrasts and symbolic geometry, Quintessence invites viewers to consider the unseen energy that surrounds and shapes our reality.