Inogi2021
JADEN BLEIER
Undergraduate Student

weaving rain / woven rain
Cyanotype on cotton

“Instead of numbers and units, I’ve been measuring in colors and textures. The piece is a record of shifting light. The moment passes, but the trace remains. 

Rain falls in a pattern we cannot predict. Slowly then faster drops land on a small sheet of fabric treated with cyanotype solution. Blue, as Rebecca Solnit explains, is the untouched color of distance. White marks (by erasure) the fabric where water lands, pushing away the dye that reacts to the ultraviolet light. Positive and negative spaces oscillate into a confusion resembling the chaos of rainfall. The final piece is not the two storms but the traces of them, one documentation from the start and one from the conclusion of the rainfall, woven together, and again complicated.” 

I am an artist and a writer. I love ocean and atmospheric sciences mainly, but I am also interested in trees, especially the urban treescapes, and trying to learn more about them.

MAHMOUD HALLAK
Undergraduate Student

A No Longer Blue Marble
Digital art 

“This project highlights the fragility of our planet Earth as it drifts through the vast expanse of space. The earth is represented as a closed system, where everything within it is interconnected and dependent on each other. The atmosphere is symbolized by the glass, and the pollutants we release into it are shown to be damaging this delicate ecosystem. 

The project's title, A No Longer Blue Marble, is a nod to the iconic ‘Blue Marble’ photo taken during the Apollo mission that captured the Earth's breathtaking beauty. However, the title also reflects the reality that our planet is no longer the pristine, blue world we once knew, as human activities have caused irreversible harm to our environment.

In the context of planetary science, this project serves as a poignant reminder of our planet's vulnerability to human actions. It highlights the urgent need to take immediate and effective steps to mitigate the impact of our actions on our planet, and to preserve the only home we have in the cosmos."

I study both Astrophysics and Graphic Design.

ÁNGEL J. CAJIGAS ARBELO
Research Assistant, School of Public Health 

Refugio (Refuge)
Acrylic on canvas 

“Refugio is a large surreal painting depicting a young man immersed in a fantastic water world. He is in the ocean, a part of the ocean, and comes up from the coral reefs. This represents harmony and kinship with the ocean. There is one large whale majestically swimming up along him, also reminding us of our place in the ocean as fellow mammals. There are sea turtles swimming along sea vegetation. The coral reefs are blazing with color and detail. A bioluminescent bay adorns the portrait from left to the right to remind us of light in the deep depths of life. Throughout the painting there are also Taino indigenous symbols that represent my background and connection to the ocean, Puerto Rico, and life. This painting touches on environmental harmony, coexisting, human connection, species thriving together, and the love and care for our oceans and ocean life.“  

I am both an artist and researcher at the School of Public Health’s Survey Research Center. I originally come from Puerto Rico. My art focuses on the relationship between the self and nature. I express the harmony and interaction with nature through paintings and drawings with rainforests, oceans, animals, portraits, and spirituality. A lot of my art has Puerto Rican influences including culture, environment, lifestyle, and vivid colors. As a researcher I am recruiting participants for public health studies on topics such as Covid-19, end of life care, homebound elderly patients, food insecurity in Rhode Island, and more. 

JESSE TESSIER
Administrative Assistant, Physics 

On the Clock 
Digital art 

“It relates to the theme of climate change and oceans rising.”

I am administrative staff in the Physics department. 

JAMIE PAHIGIAN 
Laboratory Manager, Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Science 

Untitled 
Fused glass with sea-floor sediment sample material from IODP site 1085

“This piece is intended as a bit of a Rorschach test for earth, environmental and planetary sciences. It suggests plate tectonics, fault lines, stratigraphy, the sea and sky. It's vaguely planet shaped and even has details suggestive of the storms of Jupiter.”

I'm an analytical chemist supporting Tim Herbert's research operation and the Environmental Chemistry Facility. In my spare time, I think of myself less as an artist and more a maker, or at best amateur designer. I like to play with materials and constructive techniques, but usually move on to something new before I achieve expertise (or even proficiency) with a given medium. 

*With creative input from Kristin Kimble.

RIP GERRY 
Exhibition Production and Media/Archives Manager, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology

Surrogate Explorer 
Mixed-media collage

"I see this piece as loosely related to Planetary Science. It is my light-hearted interpretation of sending robotic explorers to other worlds.

My artwork is almost equally influenced by my enjoyment of science fiction and my interest in science and the natural world. Found nature-objects make their way into assemblages and scientific discoveries I read about inspire my sketches and collages. Yet, fantastic worlds and robots are often also involved.”

At Brown I work behind the scenes at the Haffenreffer Museum managing the production of exhibitions and assisting researchers in our multimedia archives.

MAE JACKSON 
Communications Specialist, Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Science  

A Friendly Face 
Linocut print

“The Moon has been a familiar face for all of human history, and I can’t help but imagine we have always looked up at it like the face of an old friend. It has always had a powerful influence on our world, both environmentally and socially – in equal measure, it pulls on the ocean tides, and pulls human curiosity and inspiration.”

 I’ve been a staff member at Brown for almost seven years, specializing in communications and engagement. Outside the office, I’m an eclectic artist of many mediums, most recently printmaking.