Duality – abstraction and representation, the literal and the metaphorical, science and mysticism, the unseen and the seen – is a predominant theme in the work of Jody Rasch. Based on electron microscopy, particle accelerators, radio astronomy and spectroscopy, his art is an expression of both the patterns of the natural world and the metaphors underlying modern science. They allow us to see the beauty in the repulsive, to find knowledge in the unknown, and to observe the unseen to more clearly see our world.
The techniques used by Rasch are further expressions of duality. Gold, rendered in images from science, echoes the gold halos of religious icons and fine, intricate lines are layered to interpret microscopic and subatomic images on a large scale and the galactic on a small scale.
According to the artist, “The images are meant to be perceived as abstractions, in which form and color stand on their own, as literal images of concrete reality, and as a challenge to see the unseen and make the unseen seen.”
Rasch is a New York-based artist and has studied at the Arts Students’ League of New York and The School of Visual Arts in NYC.
Rasch’s art ihas been shown in solo and group exhibitions at Art on Paper, VOLTA NEW YORK, The Samuel J. Wood Library, Weill Cornell Medicine NY; Art in Embassies Program (at US Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh); David J. Sencer CDC Museum: in Association with the Smithsonian Institution, Atlanta; American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Washington, DC; Katonah Museum of Art, Artists' Association - Northern Westchester Hospital, Mount Kisco, NY; CONRAD New York Hotel, NYC; Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn NY; Katonah Museum of Art, Artists' Association, Katonah NY; Rush Arts Gallery, NYC; Jackson Hall Art Gallery, NYC; Lana Santorelli Gallery, NYC; Columbia University, NYC; Space on White Gallery, NYC; Brenda Taylor Gallery, Verge, Miami, FL; Pfizer (Solo Show), NYC; Gallery Oms (Solo Show), Fort Lee, NJ; Upstream Gallery, Dobbs Ferry, NY; Mamaroneck Artists Guild, Mamaroneck, NY; Hank Baum Gallery, San Francisco, CA; Salon West 3, NYC; Salmagundi Club, NYC. Rasch’s work is in private and corporate collections, including the Pfizer Corporation in New York and Colonial Penn Insurance Company in Philadelphia.
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Jody Rasch was commissioned to create four paintings for a science foundation and the works were installed in December 2023.
The works are: Thought, Gravity Lens, Inner Working, and Sight. The artist coments about these paintings:
Thought
"The brain is the center of our rationality and irrationality and controls our conscious and unconscious reactions. My Thought series uses images of the brain, including MRI, to invite the observer to get into the minds of others and explore their own rationality."
Gravity Lens
"Gravity lens is the proof of Einstein’s theory of space and time being one entity Space/Time. It reminds us that there are no absolutes and that all we observe is based on our own view."
Inner Working
“The core element of life is our cells. This image uses cryo electron microscopy to give the most detailed image of a cell. It allows us to peer into the basic building blocks that create life.”
Sight
“The eye is the way we take in the world and try to understand what is around us. It is one of our key senses that we use to unravel the myriad of images we encounter every day. The Sight series shows how we take in the information we need to interpret our environment.”
Jody Rasch has been invited to deliver a keynote speech at the Simons Foundation Society of Fellows symposium in New York on October 4 on the theme of "Perspectives Reimagined: Art, Science, and the Power of Creative Fusion". Additionally, a curated selection of his artwork will be displayed in a dedicated exhibition for the symposium.
LAMINAproject was invited to exhibit a curated selection of Biology-inspired paintings and drawings by Jody Rasch at Regeneron's October 2022 corporate event: The Power of Purpose, held in Greenwich CT. We exhibited works from several current and recent series including Beauty-Skin Cell, Thought, Healing and Disease. The presentation was complemented by a video presentation that explained the science and broader meaning behind Rasch's work.
At VOLTA New York 2022 LAMINAproject is presenting the work of three artists: Amie Esslinger, Michal Gavish, and Jody Rasch.
Amie Esslinger is equally accomplished as a painter, sculptor, ceramist, and textile artist and that is evident when looking at her dazzling and complex mixed-media works based on motifs from microbiology. Many are constructed layer by layer, with both traditional and very unique materials, and all have a very sculptural and tactile feel to them. Esslinger’s work goes beyond the visual in terms of meaning and message and her references to microbiology are suggestive of the complicated parts and systems that compose and surround us, but cannot be seen by the naked eye. The forms found in microbiology are visually beautiful and are governed by uniform laws, yet influenced by chance and opportunity. As the artist explains, “I attempt to generate an aesthetic that echoes the complexity inherent in natural systems, while creating new mysterious organisms, both alluring and repelling.”
For Michal Gavish, multimedia artist and former research scientist, viruses, proteins, and crystals aren’t abstractions—they are figures, objects and nano-scale landscapes. She is captivated by these minute shapes that are hidden from the naked eye, interpreting them in their intricate environments. Using innovative techniques, Gavish translates visual research data into paintings and soft installations, sometimes drawing and painting and at other times developing three-dimensional works by layering original chemical paint-combinations onto translucent fabric and fragile paper. The resulting works give presence to the microscopic living formations that we know exist but can hardly imagine. In her Neurodiversity series from 2022, the artist paints neurological portraits which make visible the fact that nobody is really neurotypical; our brains are infinitely complicated and each is unique.
Jody Rasch’s work is drawn from various science practices, including astronomy, biology, and sub-atomic physics. In his subject matter and techniques, Rasch builds on historical concepts and follows in the footsteps of artists such as Kandinsky, Dali, and Picasso and movements from Pointillism and Constructivism to Dada and Surrealism that were influenced by science. Abstract yet recognizable to scientists, the stunning patterns and colors in his drawings and paintings elevate the movement and behavior of their subjects. Particle showers are painted as glowing traces of post-collision movement, the blueness of Einstein’s ring is accentuated, and skin cells are transformed into a vibrant multi-color wonderland. Rasch brings images to a more human scale by enlarging the infinitesimally small or closing the distance to cosmic phenomena, making these hidden and remote elements of the universe relatable to our existence in it. As an expression of both the patterns of the natural world and the metaphors underlying modern science, his work reminds us that there’s more to the universe than meets the eye.
The exhibition is curated by Omo Misha, and a percentage of the proceeds will go to the City College Center for the Arts' Youth Arts Empowerment Program
“I had always been interested in science, particularly physics, and read a lot about relativity and particle physics. The realm of particle physics is like discovering a new philosophy. Particles can be everywhere at once and can both be waves or particles, depending on how we observe them. In particle physics, nothing is certain. Physics tries to answer the big questions on the nature of the universe. I wanted to find a way to represent these concepts in my art. Some of the images I use are of bubble chambers, where atoms are broken down into subatomic particles, each with its own mass and charge, which make different paths in the bubble chamber. I try to incorporate these themes into the images by using phrases from particle physics such as “User Created Reality” or formulas such as the one for Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. The patterns are beautiful, and seem like abstract patterns if one didn’t know what the subject matter is.
The exhibition also includes three works on gravitational lensing which are based on the work Fermilab is doing to discover both dark matter and dark energy. The dark matter acts as a lens to bend visible light. Even though dark matter cannot be seen, it does have a gravitational effect that impacts the amount the visible light that is bent. I also wanted to include two recent spectra pieces, as the energy released by a particle is based on the energy levels of the electrons. Based on quantum physics, electrons have defined energy levels, which creates the emission or absorption lines observed in the spectra.”
– Jody Rasch
LunchBreak is a series of live, online interviews with artists who have shown in SciArt exhibitions or been part of our residency program. Join us virtually on Zoom over your lunch break to hear from science- and technology-inspired artists on what they’re working on right now.
LAMINAproject is exhibiting the work of Jody Rasch, Joyce Yamada and Nila Onda in Joyce Yamada's studio during the 2019 Bushwick Open Studios. The studio will be open on September 21-22 from 12-6 pm. The Address is: The AnX Building, 13 Grattan Street, #402, Brooklyn NY.
The U.S. Department of State's Art in Embassies Program has chosen two "Biology" works by Jody Rasch for exhibition at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The two works are:
Healing - White Blood Cell, 2016, oil on board, 45 x 45 inches
Thought - Cerebellum, 2019, pencil and pastel on paper, 42 x 42 inches
Jody Rasch is one of ten international artists whose work is included in a compelling exhibition curated by Louise Shaw
The World Unseen: Intersections of Art and Science gathers the work of ten international artists, including Jody Rasch, who draw upon microbiology, biotechnology, anatomy, and texts in their investigations of microbes and cells, DNA, history of disease and science, the body, and beauty. They all share a deep interest in science, and some are scientists themselves or collaborate closely with researchers. Some mine the images of the unseen world to comment about the debates that swarm around the intersection of disease and ethics—past, present, and future. Others are drawn to the abstract beauty of what is sub-visible—real and imagined. Several of the artists use their work as a starting point to understand the complex relationships between humans and their biological systems, as well as challenges facing us in the 21st century, including emerging infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Through paintings, drawings, installations, and videos, these artists ponder the humanistic and scientific implications of knowing and seeing what we normally cannot see.
The AAAS Art of Science and Technology Program features Jody Rasch’s paintings and drawings in a two-person exhibition which explores duality−abstraction and representation, the literal and the metaphorical, science and mysticism, the unseen and the seen− a predominant theme in Rasch’s work. The artist uses science images to look beyond what we see in the macro world of our daily lives and gets us to question our world-view and how we react to information.
The large-scale exhibition includes work based on themes from astronomy, biology, physics and spectra. The artist transforms images from radio astronomy, electron microscopy, particle accelerators and individual element’s spectra, discovering their underlying patterns and working with color and design to create work that is both representational and abstract. Rasch uses the scientific images as a connection between the unseen and the visible world. The scale of the actual images contrasts with the size of the artwork: the biological and physics images are massively enlarged and the astronomical images are drastically reduced. The goal is to bring the images to a more human scale so that the viewer can relate to the concepts and elements that underlie our world and universe. He utilizes a variety of techniques and media, including oil, acrylic paint, pastels, colored pencil and pen/ink.
Fairgoers entering Volta were greeted with a glittery installation by Shanthi Chandrasekar titled “Cosmic Vibrations – Raining Gold” (2023). I remember that the self-taught sculpture artist wowed fair-goers at Art on Paper in September with her meticulously hole-punched ceiling fixtures. But for this exhibition, Chandrasekar traded paper for metal to create an ethereal hanging sculpture made of gold wiring and variously sized rings. Like much of her work, the installation references cosmological and philosophical concepts, such as kilonovas — the rare collision of two neutron stars that produces heavy metals.
The display was led by Lamina Project, a New York gallery that focuses on the crossover between art and science. Lamina Project’s own gallery presentation continued to lead to more intriguing artwork based on mathematical patterns and microbiological research by artists Jody Rasch and Mark Pomilio, alongside additional mesmerizing works by Chandrasekar.
Although Science Art (“SciArt”) is increasingly used in science communication as a way to make content more engaging or accessible, little is known about why artists pursue this practice or what they hope to achieve through their work. This project addresses these questions through a thematic analysis of interviews with 131 practicing science artists. We identify a diversity of goals for creating SciArt, only some of which involve communicating science.
Jody Rasch, for example, who said: “There are multiple dimensions that I am trying to communicate in my work, but mostly I want the observer to begin to question what he/she believes”.
Some of the most innovative artists working today are fusing art and science and taking inspiration from science. LAMINAproject−a gallery/platform devoted to art/science−showcases artwork by emerging and established artists that integrates ideas, images and metaphors of science to convey fundamental truths about the world and explore different characteristics of art-science relationships. LAMINAproject’s artists not only show the beauty of science, but also communicate how these images relate to and help us see beyond our daily existence. As expressions of both the patterns of the natural world and the metaphors underlying modern science, their art allows us to see beauty in the repulsive, to find knowledge in the unknown, and to observe the unseen to more clearly see our world. By exploring the invisible, Esslinger, Gavish, and Rasch invite the observer to look beyond the “seen” to appreciate the beauty and mystery of the “unseen.”
Interalia Magazine, an online magaine dedicated to the interactions between the arts, sciences and consciousness, features Jody Rasch's Biology work in its April issue, with a specific look at his Healing and Thought series.
Although art and science might be viewed as diametrically opposite, artists and scientists seek answers to the same fundamental questions, trying to understand and visualize the invisible and what it means to be human. Some of the most innovative artists working today are fusing art and science, taking inspiration from science and using scientific techniques in their work. A compelling exhibition at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Samuel J. Wood Library in New York, entitled Seeing Within: Art Inspired by Science, features the work of Jody Rasch, Cheryl Safran, and Julia Buntaine Hoel who use the visual language and findings of biology to create artwork that invites viewers to explore and appreciate the beauty and mystery of biology.
BUSHWICK/BED-STUY – Arts in Bushwick hosted the 13th annual Bushwick Open Studios over the weekend, welcoming the public into the workspaces of more than 200 artists in and around the neighborhood.
Bklyner visited the studios of nine local artists. Check out their work below and read their thoughts on working in the area and participating in the 2019 Bushwick Open Studios.
In Atlanta, The David J. Sencer CDC Museum’s new exhibition--The World Unseen: Intersections of Art and Science—gathers the work of ten international artists who draw upon microbiology, biotechnology, anatomy, and texts in their investigations of microbes and cells, DNA, history of disease and science, the body, and beauty.
Images from electron microscopy, particle accelerators, and radio astronomy are beautifully transformed in sciartist Jody Rasch’s vibrant works. Some of his latest pieces are on view for the first time in Duality: Art + Science, an exhibit curated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as part of its Art of Science and Technology Program. The show is on view until February 1, 2019 at the AAAS’s gallery space in Washington, DC.
The paintings and drawings in “Duality: Art and Science” are clearly handmade, yet are inspired by things glimpsed through machines, notably microscopes and radio telescopes. As interpreted by New York’s Jody Rasch and the District’s Betsy Stewart, the phenomena celebrated in the American Association for the Advancement of Science show appear similar in form, whether they’re massive or microscopic in actuality. They lose their original scale and, in some cases, their menace.
Duality–abstraction and representation, the literal and the metaphorical, science and mysticism, the unseen and the seen–is a predominant theme in New York artist Jody Rasch’s work, which is explored in Duality: Art + Science, a stunning exhibition curated by The American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC as part of its Art of Science and Technology Program. The exhibition also features work by Betsy Stewart and is on view through February 1, 2019 in the gallery space at AAAS’s headquarters. Rasch uses science images to look beyond what we see in the macro world of our daily lives and challenges us to explore the world around us, question our world-view and how we react to information. Duality: Art + Science presents paintings and drawings inspired by astronomy, biology, physics and spectra.
The American Association For the Advancement of Science has put on an art show featuring the works of Betsy Stewart and Jody Rasch called Duality: Art+Science. I was honored to be asked to install the show at the AAAS Headquarters Gallery in Washington DC. The show runs from November 2, 2018, to Feb 1, 2019.
Some of Rasch's works steal the show...
Looking beyond the "seen" to appreciate the beauty and mystery of the "unseen"
Interalia Magazine, an online magazine dedicated to the intersections between the arts, science and consciousness, explores Jody Rasch's work and practice
Jody Rasch is a New York-based artist who explores the duality of nature through scientifically influenced abstractions. Exploring both the seen and the unseen, his paintings are otherworldly and atmospheric, having one foot in the material and one in the compexly unreal. He has been exhibiting for over 25 years, and is affiliated with the Art & Science Collaborations, Inc., (ASCI) and The New York Academy of Sciences.
