A Quantum Leap

Quantum Leap. Sounds science-y. Well, that’s because it is.

A quantum leap is a phenomenon in which an electron automatically jumps to a different path within an atom and a photon is released. As Harrison Center artist Quincy Owens says, the definition is somewhat anticlimactic compared to the name. Nevertheless, he and co-artist Luke Crawley apply the meaning to their show, named after the physical process, by pushing their artistic abilities and work to a new level.

In addition to the concept of a quantum leap, Owens + Crawley drew inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which is part of Quantum Leap sponsors, Indiana Humanities’ One State/One Story initiative. (The Harrison Center’s Speck Gallery features a group show of work inspired by the classic novel as well.) For example, they utilize Shelley’s juxtaposition of distortion and perfection through a wide range of media, such as rusted steel versus shiny surfaces, a copious amount of green and blue hues and separated parts within the show, as Owens observed that Shelley used in her own artistic masterpiece. Lastly, Owens explains the theme of “seen while being seen” throughout the book. He and Crawley are mirroring this, literally, with reflective mirrors, so that while viewers are watching themselves and others, they are never quite sure if/who is watching them in return. Thus, “Quantum Leap” will transport you into Mary Shelley’s fictional world in a whole new way, challenging your previous thoughts on the story and adding just a little more science.

“Quantum Leap” opens in the Harrison Gallery at the Harrison Center on First Friday (February 2)! The Harrison Center is also open Monday-Friday from 9-5, and the show remains up until the 23rd.