Biography
Anuket, 2021
Tom Ward is an artist and photographer who enjoys exploring the physical world via fragments of time. An alumnus of Falmouth College of Art, he creates powerful, enveloping visual works that deal with a sense of scale and illusions of reality.
Tom Ward is an artist and photographer who enjoys exploring the physical world via fragments of time. An alumnus of Falmouth College of Art, he creates powerful, enveloping visual works that deal with a sense of scale and illusions of reality.
Over the last few years Ward has been exploring a miniature world of his own creation.Drawing on his life long passion for science and the arts, he has amalgamated the two in to a fascinating project that is both scientific and truly organic and natural. Ward discovered ferrofluids and the science and technology behind the incredible substance a few years ago whilst reading a paper on the technical hurdles encountered by NASA during the Apollo space program. Having decided to purchase some of this mystical substance Ward set about learning its characteristics and how to manipulate it to his will. By adding vibrant watercolours,oils,detergents and solvents along with the ferrofluid he has been able to create mesmerizing macrophotographs of the resultant mixtures interacting with magnetic fields. The resulting imagery, testimony to his patience and diligent eye for detail, evokes a sense of scale only rivalled by aerial or cellular photography. It is this playful suspense of scale and context that makes his work so fascinating.
Ferrofluids: The first ferrofluid was invented by a NASA engineer named Steve Papell in the early 1960s. His idea was that if you add these magnetic nano particles to fuel, you can move it around in zero gravity with a magnetic field. Since then, ferrofluids have been used far and wide. Today, you can find ferrofluids in speakers, harddrives,and skateboards.
Over the last few years Ward has been exploring a miniature world of his own creation.Drawing on his life long passion for science and the arts, he has amalgamated the two in to a fascinating project that is both scientific and truly organic and natural. Ward discovered ferrofluids and the science and technology behind the incredible substance a few years ago whilst reading a paper on the technical hurdles encountered by NASA during the Apollo space program. Having decided to purchase some of this mystical substance Ward set about learning its characteristics and how to manipulate it to his will. By adding vibrant watercolours,oils,detergents and solvents along with the ferrofluid he has been able to create mesmerizing macrophotographs of the resultant mixtures interacting with magnetic fields. The resulting imagery, testimony to his patience and diligent eye for detail, evokes a sense of scale only rivalled by aerial or cellular photography. It is this playful suspense of scale and context that makes his work so fascinating.
Ferrofluids: The first ferrofluid was invented by a NASA engineer named Steve Papell in the early 1960s. His idea was that if you add these magnetic nano particles to fuel, you can move it around in zero gravity with a magnetic field. Since then, ferrofluids have been used far and wide. Today, you can find ferrofluids in speakers, harddrives,and skateboards.
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