Stars come to Life (From The Northern Echo)

Stars come to Life

11:17am Thursday 10th December 2009

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The world of astronomy has inspired an exhibition at Newcastle’s Centre For Life, featuring Patrick Moore and Brian May. While mima has new gems on show. Viv Hardwick reports.

EXPLORERS of the Universe is an exhibition at Newcastle’s Centre For Life which marks the end of the International Year of Astronomy. Photographer Max Alexander has captured people and places of interest for those with stars in their eyes for the display which is on show until the beginning of March.

While is was obvious that Alexander would seek out the “heroes” of astronomy, like Patrick Moore, Stephen Hawking and Brian May (the Queen guitarist who studied as an astrophysicist and has an asteroid named in his honour) he also features the up and coming names, as well as amateur astronomers.

As a result Prof Mike Cruise is pictured against ripples in a pond (created by the photographer throwing stones over the professors head missing him by centimetres) to reflect his work with gravitational waves of space time.

Dr Sean Paling from the University of Sheffield was photographed one kilometre underground at Boulby Mine in North Yorkshire to represent his work on dark matter. Using a single two-minute exposure, the words Dark Matter were spelt out with a torch with instructions shouted out in the dark.

The cosmologist Prof Carlos Frenk, from Durham University, appears almost as a quarter moon. “Four per cent of the frame is taken up by the lit part of Carlos’ face which represents normal baryonic matter,”

explains Alexander. “The unlit part of his face is 23 per cent of the frame, which represents dark matter, and the remaining 73 per cent of the frame is dark energy, so it is a representation of what astronomers know about the universe.”

Iconic images feature the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton, with an apple tree in the foreground, and Stonehenge is depicted at sunrise during the Summer Solstice.

Alexander is a professional photographer and fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has had a lifelong interest in astronomy which dates back to his childhood in New Zealand which grew after witnessing the Northern Lights whilst on assignment in Northern Sweden He says: “When I think about the people I’ve met and photographed for this project, I see inspiring people at the cutting edge of what they do, which is unravelling the secrets of the universe.

“I was surprised by their creativity and got a real sense of the community of astronomers.

Although there’s nothing here of the celebrity culture of pop stars and reality shows, I wanted to show something of the glamour of science through these inspirational people.”

astronomy2009.co.uk

■ Centre for Life, Times Square, Newcastle, NE1 4EP .Tel: 0191-243-8210 life.org.uk Admission fees: Free for children four and under; £5.55 child (16 and under) adult £7.65.

Family ticket £23.10 Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10-5.30-ish (last admission 3.30pm), Saturday 10-6; Sunday 11-6p (last admission 4pm) Centre is closed Dec 25, 26 and Jan 1.

LAST week, Christmas Star opened at the Centre’s Planetarium, and will run until January 3. This 20-minute show explores the myth and the scientific mystery behind the star’s enduring and compelling symbol of Christmas. Was it a comet, a supernova or a UFO?

Who were the wise men and what did they actually see? With the help of this show, visitors can uncover many possible theories on the famous star that rose in the East.

Suitable for ages 7 and upwards.

Free to visitors to the main Centre for Life.

TOMORROW: mima 9the Middlesbrough Insitute of Modern Art) opens three exhibitions, all running until February 21, which will include some of the latest acquisitions to its collection. These include rare drawings by Ellsworth Kelly and a sound piece by William Furlong.

One place to call home: recent acquisitions, will be the first opportunity for visitors to see these new works.

Many of the works have been purchaseded through the support of the Northern Rock Foundation Craft Acquisition Scheme. In 2004 the foundation made £150,000 available to mima for its ceramics and jewellery collection. Wunderkammer by Edmund de Waal, his most important work to date, was acquired along with The Present by Kepa Karmoma, a neckpiece made from glass and concrete, as well as a neckpiece by Ted Noten made from sliced porcelain figures.

There are also five Karl Fritsch rings and Ellsworth Kelly’s drawings from 1954-1962 when he pioneered his muchadmired abstract style. The artist has personally selected 23 drawings including ink, graphite, oil paint and collage.

Two of the works on display, Untitled, 1957 and Untitled, 1959, came through the Art Fund International scheme award of £1m in 2007 to fund the collection of international contemporary art over a fiveyear period.

■ Gallery Opening Times: Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat 10am- 5pm, Thurs 10am-8pm (free parking from 4pm), Sun 12noon-4pm Closed Monday. Open Bank Holidays (Sunday opening hours apply). Admission free mima Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Centre Square, Middlesbrough TS1 2AZ, tel 01642-726-720. visitmima.co.uk

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