A performance forging art and science; imagery and sound; inquiry and imagination
The Effects of Gravity tells the story of our cosmic origins—the formation of the universe, galaxies, stars, planets, our solar system, and our planet— from both scientific and poetic perspectives. The performance is richly illustrated with animated computer graphics and astronomical images brought to life by a live, blazingly virtuosic electric guitar score and original poetry that embraces the vastness, complexity, and beauty of the cosmos and our efforts to understand it. At this historic juncture where the James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories are bringing us stunning images, and where science, regrettably, is under attack, we are pleased to offer The Effects of Gravity as an artful, fact-filled multi-media performance that celebrates the human quest for understanding as it speaks for planetary stewardship.
Image: Matthew Bate, University of Exeter
A show for audiences who gaze at the stars and wonder, who have questions and seek knowledge, and who know that science and art are expressions of the same basic human impulse to explore. Be prepared to have your mind blown, your heart opened, your eyes widened, and your ears treated to sounds they’ve never imagined before.
Images from The Effects of Gravity
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- Witnessing the formation of a galaxy like our Milky Way.
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- Protoplanets collapsing in a circumstellar disk.
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- “We observe distant galaxies receding from us in all directions…”
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- Music and dark matter converge.
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- Poetry and astrophysics in conversation.
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- “The universe was tiny so the Flash instantly permeated all space.”
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- Observations and computer models converging to form understanding and appreciation.
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- Stunned by simulations of our cosmic origins.
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- The telescope transports us to the edge and back.
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- “Where does our Universe Story begin?”
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- Hubble Ultra-deep Field: thousands of distant galaxies.
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- Musical transformation.
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- “We are watching as a foggy web of dark matter and gas evolves to form a cluster of galaxies.”
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- “Stars are forming right now in these nebulous stellar nurseries!”
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- Musical themes expand with the distant galaxies.
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- “Looking up in silence at the stars now we see light from the past!”
A cast of creators
In The Effects of Gravity we invite our audience along as a poet,
a musician, and a scientist do what they do every day to present an experience that is anything but everyday.
David González
Poet, Storyteller, Musician
“With speech, sound, mime, and above all, inspired imagination, David Gonzalez has the gift of creating magical worlds and drawing his audience into them.” — New York Times
Álvaro Domene
Guitarist, Composer, Educator
“Ambient clean tones morph into Wagnerian waves of distortion, as he employs the entire range of his 7-string guitar. Álvaro Domene has mastered the art of turning non-pitched abrasive sounds into beauty.” — Guitar Moderne
Luke Keller
Astrophysicist, Educator
Award-winning Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Ithaca College, Luke Keller is fascinated by questions of origins. His research studying the formation of stars and their planetary systems has been supported by NASA, the Universities Space Research Association, and the Research Corporation for the Advancement of Science.
Documents
Contact: Ed Schoelwer
Red Shell Mgmt
(646) 495-1564
eschoelwer@redshellmgmt.org
Background image: Matthew Bate, University of Exeter