Join us to celebrate the launch of the new publication 'Concerning the Quantum in Art' by artist and academic Paul Thomas. Hear from the author in conversation with Dr Michael Garbutt at UNSW Galleries.
Concerning the Quantum in Art offers an artist’s perspective on the intriguing relationship between quantum physics and fine art, focusing on the role of probability, chance, and uncertainty. Rather than approaching quantum mechanics as a scientist, Paul Thomas explores how its concepts shape perception and creative expression. Drawing inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s approach to photography and art, Thomas reframes the question: not whether artists can interpret quantum mechanics, but how quantum ideas influence artistic thought.
Through metaphors, signs and serendipitous experiences, the book examines how the language and imagery of quantum theory intersect with the intuitive, often contradictory nature of artistic practice. It argues that while science attempts to measure phenomena, art probes sensation, offering new ways to visualise, question, and internalise complex realities and showing how intuition and uncertainty have always played roles in both scientific and artistic revolutions.
Dr Paul Thomas is an Honorary Professor at UNSW Sydney, and a pioneer in transdisciplinary art practice. His practice-led research not only draws inspiration from nanoscience and quantum theory but actively operates within these atomic domains. His academic publications revolve around the idea that probability and uncertainty are fundamental forces at the core of both art and science. His notable works include Quantum Art and Uncertainty (2018), Nanoart: The Immateriality of Art (2013), and Reconfiguring Space (2009). He is currently serving as editor of the Encyclopedia for New Media Art, Volume II: Artists and Practice, Bloomsbury. Thomas is also the founder and chair of the International Transdisciplinary Imaging Conference series (2010–2024).
Dr Michael Garbutt is a writer, artist, documentary maker, and experience designer with qualifications in architecture, literature, and discourse analysis. His main focus of research is currently aesthetic experience in museums, galleries, natural and urban environments. Garbutt is interested in the experience and design of restorative environments, landscape aesthetics, and the role of play for adults in museums and galleries, with particular reference to visual behaviours recorded with mobile eye tracking devices. He is an organiser of the annual Nomad Arts Festival in Naryn Kyrgyzstan and runs regular Playful Eye sessions through the Playful Eye Project.