07 Feb Gravity Well: Chris O’Leary’s Visual Meditations on the Unseen Universe
By Tyler Stallings
Chris O’Leary’s Gravity Well is a profound and poetic meditation on the unseen forces that shape our universe. Curated by Jennifer Frias, director and senior curator at the Nicholas + Lee Begovich Gallery at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), from November 2, 2024, to May 17, 2025, this multimedia exhibition brings viewers into the realm of gravitational waves—distortions in space-time predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago but only directly observed for the first time in 2015. Through video installations, photographic works, and generative software, O’Leary bridges the gap between cutting-edge astrophysical research and the human sensory experience, offering a rare glimpse into the mechanics of deep space through an artistic lens.
Though not officially part of the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time: Art + Science Collide initiative, Gravity Well is presented concurrently and resonates deeply with the PST theme of merging artistic and scientific inquiry. O’Leary’s work exists in conversation with contemporary artists engaged in data visualization, particularly those who translate astrophysical phenomena into tangible, aesthetic experiences. His project aligns with a broader artistic movement that seeks to make the invisible visible, much like the work of Ryoji Ikeda, who transforms astronomical data into immersive light and sound installations, or Trevor Paglen, who explores the limits of human perception through surveillance imagery and cosmological speculation. Within this lineage, Gravity Well contributes a uniquely poetic and scientifically rigorous engagement with the mysteries of the cosmos.
The Poetics of Observation: LIGO as an Aesthetic and Conceptual Model
At the heart of Gravity Well is O’Leary’s deep engagement with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the twin facilities in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana, that first detected gravitational waves. These observatories, with their immense L-shaped vacuum-sealed tunnels, house some of the most precise instruments ever devised by humanity, capable of sensing distortions in space-time smaller than a proton. Yet their function—detecting the ripples from cataclysmic events like black hole mergers—remains fundamentally abstract, dependent on complex computational interpretation rather than direct human perception.
O’Leary’s work does not attempt to recreate gravitational waves as mere scientific visualizations. Instead, he emphasizes the processes and technologies of detection itself. His large-scale video projection, also titled Gravity Well, intercuts documentary footage of LIGO’s starkly functional architecture with generative digital distortions, echoing the warping effects of gravitational waves. Superimposed over these images are real-time computational simulations based on LIGO’s data, dynamically evolving in response to live input. This is not just an illustration of science; it is an active meditation on the act of observing the imperceptible.
Light, Time, and the Materiality of Data
Beyond the central video work, O’Leary extends his exploration of gravitational wave detection into photographic and sculptural forms. His triptych Time Space Line offers a layered visual history of the scientific development of relativity, LIGO’s engineering breakthroughs, and its observational data. Presented as high-resolution lightbox photographs, these images are both didactic and deeply aesthetic, with historical documents and schematics arranged in a visually compelling composition. A glowing green laser—a direct reference to the laser interferometers at LIGO—cuts through the images, acting as both a compositional element and a metaphor for the interconnectedness of scientific discovery.
Similarly, the sculptural series Intersecting Planes translates the physical structure of LIGO into three-dimensional photographic objects. Using semi-transparent 8×10 film panels, O’Leary constructs intersecting planes that mimic the perpendicular layout of LIGO’s detector arms. The images themselves, taken on-site at LIGO’s facilities, depict the long, featureless tunnels stretching towards the horizon. But when viewed as sculptural forms, they create an illusion of spatial compression and expansion—an optical analogy to the very space-time distortions that LIGO was built to measure.
A New Aesthetic of Cosmology
O’Leary’s work exists within a growing artistic movement dedicated to visualizing astrophysical phenomena beyond the limits of direct human perception. Artists such as Fabian Oefner, whose work transforms scientific principles into tangible visual experiences, and Refik Anadol, who employs artificial intelligence to generate immersive data landscapes, share a conceptual kinship with O’Leary. Yet, what sets Gravity Well apart is its emphasis on the mediation of perception itself. O’Leary does not simply depict gravitational waves; he reflects on the very act of translating scientific data into human experience. In this way, O’Leary’s work resonates with media scholars like Jonathan Crary and Karen Barad, who argue that knowledge production is inseparable from the instruments of observation. James MacDevitt explores this context in his exhibition essay, situating Gravity Well within broader discussions of cosmotechnics, epistemology, and the history of observational science.
By foregrounding the apparatus of detection—LIGO’s massive tunnels, the delicately balanced mirrors, the algorithmic transformations of raw data—O’Leary invites us to consider the epistemological implications of astrophysical discovery. What does it mean to “see” something that cannot be seen? How do we trust in data that must be rendered into sound, image, or text before it can be comprehended? These questions, central to both science and art, are at the core of Gravity Well.
Gravity Well and the Future of Art-Science Collaboration
While Gravity Well is a deeply research-based project, it remains emotionally resonant. There is a sense of wonder in O’Leary’s work, an acknowledgment of the sublime vastness of the universe and the ingenuity of human beings who seek to understand it. At the same time, there is a recognition that no matter how sophisticated our instruments become, we will always be at a remove from the cosmic events we study. We see them only in translation, mediated by technology, mathematics, and human interpretation.
This exhibition marks a significant moment for CSUF’s Nicholas + Lee Begovich Gallery—not only as an inaugural show in its newly constructed Visual Arts Complex but also as a model for interdisciplinary collaboration. Its partnership with CSUF’s Gravitational Wave Physics and Astronomy Center (GWPAC) and programs in photography, animation, and experimental media exemplifies the growing importance of cross-disciplinary engagement in both art and science. Gravity Well is more than an art exhibition; it is a site of dialogue where artistic intuition and scientific rigor converge to expand human perception. As visitors step into this grand new space, they encounter an exhibition that unveils the mysteries of gravitational waves while challenging them to reconsider observation, representation, and knowledge itself. A fitting launch for this creative and intellectual hub, Gravity Well sets the stage for future explorations at the intersection of art, science, and philosophy.
Chris O’Leary: Gravity Well
Nicholas + Lee Begovich Gallery at CSUF College of the Arts Galleries
November 2, 2024, to May 17, 2025
https://www.fullerton.edu/arts/art/begovich_gallery/index.php
Author bio:
Tyler Stallings is a writer, filmmaker, artist, and curator based in Southern California. With over 30 years of experience, he has contributed to and edited numerous books and catalogs, offering insightful scholarship in contemporary art. To learn more about his work, visit www.tylerstallings.com.
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