I decided to paint an abstract sunset influenced by Salvador Dali’s the Persistence of Memory. I painted this abstract image in order to give an overall summery of each module mentioned in our science class. Each idea depicted in this painting relates back to the cosmologies of the Aristotelian, Newtonian and contemporary discoveries of Einstein. The brick wall, the water, the sun light, the clock and the abyss are the abstract representations of the evolution of science.

The first symbol to discuss, is that of the brick wall located at the bottom of the canvas. The brick wall represents the view of the Aristotelians. Like layered bricks, the Aristotelians believed everything had its place in the geocentric universe. There is organization and uniformity in both the Earth’s orbit and throughout the cosmos. This depiction of the universe was rejected once the heliocentric universe was discovered. Hence, the brick wall being over powered by the sun-clock at the center of the canvas depicts the new discoveries of science.

The waves of the water and the sunlight above it represent the wave/particle duality in which Einstein proved with his photoelectric effect. Where light does not behave like a wave, but rather like a particle. Hence, the tiny dots visible in the sunset background. The sun-clock placed directly in the center of the page is symbolic for the discovery of the heliocentric universe.

The clock’s numbers represent both the Newtonian notion of time (roman numerals) and the Einsteinian notion of time (Arabic numbers). The Newtonian notion of time demonstrates how space and time were considered independent and absolute from one another. I depict this by drawing a defined line between the clock and the background surrounding it. As for the Einsteinian view of time and space, I drew that side of the clock with wavy lines in order to depict the special relativity between time and space. Special relativity and Einstein’s E=mc2 make up Einstein’s theory of general relativity (time, space, energy and matter). The fact that the Einsteinian part of the clock is deteriorating into the abyss represents our future scientific advancement.

Lastly, the unfinished part of the canvas represents the contemporary times of scientific advancement. Just like the dark abyss portrayed in my canvas, our universe is forever changing and forever mysterious. There are many things lingering in our universe that are still unknown to us and there are many opportunities in which one can discovery new theories.

I called my painting the Persistence of Science to pay homage to Dali’s Persistence of Memory. The word “persistence” is relevant to both art and science because they both have been around for centuries. Science is destined to grow and will evidently find new groundbreaking discoveries. The great minds of the past have questioned, observed and examined their surroundings. Now, it is time for the great minds of the future to do the same.