Art and Science
For those interested in aspects of art that overlap with the science featured at abeqas.com, this page includes a fine arts CV and more. Simply scroll towards the bottom for that section.
Winter 2021. water and ozone in global atmosphere for a short slice of time, 20 days
Summer 2021, I routinely developed works such as this one. The highest winds are captured by dark patches and channels. Moisture in a relative atmospheric sense is represented by the color fields. Red streamlines emerge from right.
April 2021, I accidentally developed this scientific animation. More at a recent ozone post.
July 2020, The Calabacillas Arroyo Project is among many attractions featured in a new book by Ashley M. Biggers, SECRET ALBUQUERQUE.
My “arroyosaurus” is nicely captured in a photo, and works by co-artist Michael Certo are mentioned, as well as some of the themes of New Mexico’s human and prehuman histories. The project includes artificial fossils embedded within the concrete slope paving of an arroyo section over half a mile long. Over 300 artists, mostly public school students from every corner of the city collaborated.
The above artwork is every bit as much science as art. I’ve done nothing to augment this purely neutral data. In fact, if you can rotate your head clockwise even a small amount, you will recognize that this is a partial coverage of the Northern Hemisphere. If you would like to know more about the original water image, you can visit many pages and posts here including this recent post on global precipitation. I have been intrigued by disparities across Hawaii’s atmospheric footprint for a few years now and noted that the moisture patterns for the full atmospheric thickness in that region resembled a belly button. In this case I simply rotated the map and included that data for only January and July. In the summer, the “torso” shifts to the right (north in this case) and in the winter, the torso swings back to the left (south).
This scientific animation artistically proves that Water is a Woman. 😀
Taking the art hat off, I can also disclose that one reason why the images strongly resemble a belly dance is because I had neglected to include the other islands of that Hawaiian chain. This was simply due to the fact that when I made this series of images, I had not gotten around to outlining every island. In fact there are many other islands around the planet which I haven’t outlined yet, partly because I’m primarily interested in a “big picture” approach to our climate and weather.
And while I’m critiquing my own work, I think it is worthy to point out that the textured colors over the ocean, which resemble brush strokes, are again, purely data. Specifically the entire color field comes from satellite reanalysis data based on net evaporation minus precipitation for the full atmospheric thickness, averaged over a given month.
News
Albuquerque Artist Bruce Lowney (1937-2019) is featured here because of a special strand of anthropomorphic tree paintings that seem unique to me. Some links covering many works including one of a tree which appears to have jumped off of a cliff, follow:
My Work
Luis Jimenez juried my acrylic-on-canvas (approx. 16 sq. ft.) southwest drought themed landscape and included a discussion in his lecture for Southwest 96, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
This artwork below was featured by the City of Albuquerque. I later donated the piece to Youth Development Inc. (YDI) a non profit program which seeks to steer youths away from gang activity.
I led the development of the Calabacillas Arroyo Project, which won three Architect-Engineering Design awards.
I continue to produce informal illustrations in conjunction with a project related to CSIM.
Musical Performance Art
2013-2014. Stand – in lead vocalist and harmonica player for the rock band Circle the Wagons. http://www.rockwired.com/rockandtrade1.html
2008. Harmonica player for the Kansas City rock band El Rebozo de Maria. https://www.facebook.com/ElRebozodeMaria2008/?ref=profile
2003-2013. Lead vocalist and harmonica player for the Albuquerque cover rock band Midlife Crisis.
More Art
News: 2018 New Mexico: I have been interviewed along with Larry Blair and John Kelley, past Executive Engineers of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA) for a video documentary archive of the award-winning Calabacillas Arroyo project.
News: 2017:
SCIENCE-EARTH-ART Gallery announces its premier art opening: COLLECTED WORKS by Michael Wallace
Reception at 5 to 7 pm Friday January 20, 2017
In the historic Sawmill District at the Artisan center, 1751 Bellamah Ave. NW., Albuquerque, NM
(just east of the Ponderosa Microbrewery). Featured works include pastels, oils, acrylics, mixed media,
and electronic media.
Public Commissions
1996 – 1998. client: Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA) award value: approximately $250,000 for artwork design and construction.
description: Artwork for a large (~$2 million ) stream embankment protection project. The artwork is approximately 1/2 mile long by 40 feet high by 200 feet wide, making it one of the largest contemporary artworks in New Mexico. It involved integration of design elements according to the Anacrolith concept, including fossil treatments and geologic features. Collaboration with numerous museum curators, scholars, engineers, planners, and civic administrators. Direction of the artistic productions of approximately 300 students, three staff artists, and other volunteers. Work was completed on schedule and within budget. This work has won three design awards, including the Mike Emery Award for Raising Engineering to the Level of Art, from the Albuquerque Planning Commission.
1997 – 1998. client: consortium of New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Dept, City of Albuquerque Planning Dept. and Albuquerque Public Art/CIP Program award value: approximately $22,000
description: Two identical sets of seven bronze bas-relief sculptures, each approximately one meter in diameter. The series consists of a sequence that evolves in multiple ways, including a change between representational and abstract, and a change from the natural to the cultural, in a manner specific to the unique environment of New Mexico. Work was completed on schedule and within budget.
1997 client: City of Albuquerque
description: Design and art consultant on a multimillion dollar interstate (I-40) highway expansion project within the city. I provided creative ideas, overall artistic themes and concepts, and formal designs, as part of an interdisciplinary panel that included architects, planners, public art administrators, civic leaders, and other artists. All work was conducted on schedule and within budget goals. My contributions included: an original geologic theme of varying intensity along the city length, a proposal for art along an adjoining bike path, and a streamline moderne treatment concept involving large cylindrical shapes (‘turrets’) at the junctures of on- and off- ramps with the Carlisle Blvd. overpass. This concept is being realized at the current time. My proposal for a geologic theme was expressly adopted by the clients, and some visual concepts based on this theme were developed in a follow up activity by the Cambridge-based landscape architect, Martha Schwartz
Selected Awards
1998 Albuquerque Environmental Planning Commission Community Award of Excellence for Raising Engineering to the Level of Art, for Calabacillas Arroyo Project (with AMAFCA and Wilson & Co)
Shows / Other Highlights
1997 Painting, “The Boundary Layer”, featured on the cover of a book edited and published by the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettre, ed Arte, Venice, Italy
1996 2 man show, ARC Gallery, Albuquerque, NM (sculpture and installations). Many Thanks to Advisor Rich Abitz and to the ARC Artists in Residence Mike and Jesi Certo
1996 Review of ARC show in THE Magazine by Dianne Armitage
1996 Albuquerque Traveling Art Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
1995 2 man show, The Peoria Art Guild, Peoria, IL
1995 3 person show, The Fisher Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
1994 1 man show, The Garden Court, University of NM
1994 1 man show, Uncommon Grounds, Albuquerque, NM
1993 1 man show, Congregation Albert, Albuquerque, NM.
Juried Group Exhibitions
1996 Southwest 96, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico (blind jury)
1995 Magnifico!, The Art of Albuquerque Show
1994 Merit Award, Magnifico!, The Art of Albuquerque Show.
1992 Professional Fine Arts Exhibition, New Mexico State Fair.
1991 3rd Place, Pastels, Professional Fine Arts Exhibition, New Mexico State Fair.
1989 “Artworks / Cameraworks, . . .”, The Gallery at the Rep, New Mexican Repertory
Theater, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
1989 Conceptions Southwest Magazine, Fall 1989 issue. University of New Mexico
Galleries / Spaces
1995 – pres. Peoria Art Guild, Peoria, IL.
1994 – 95 IAC Contemporary Fine Arts, Albuquerque, NM
1992 – 93 Frank Croft Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1991 – 93 Mongerson · Wunderlich Gallery, Chicago, IL
1991 – 93 Shades of the West Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1989 – 92 Lightside Gallery , Santa Fe, NM
1990 Act One Gallery, Taos, NM
1989 Bottger Mansion Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
Other Shows, etc.
1997 Invited speaker on Anacrolith concept, public lecture sponsored by AMAFCA
1996 Lecture on “Anacrolith: An Intermingling of Geology, History, and Art” presented to the Albuquerque Geological Society, New Mexico
1992 “Works on Paper”, group show, Frank Croft Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1991 Featured artist in “Art Chicago” international exposition/invitational, Chicago, IL
1991-93 A poster carried by over 60 retail outlets in the U.S. and the U.K.
1993-pres Numerous television features, newspaper articles, and reviews.
Selected Collections
Youth Development Inc. (YDI), Albuquerque, NM
Customer Development Corporation, Peoria, IL
numerous private collectors
Past Organization Memberships
International Sculpture Center
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