Jack Madden
The Individual
2022
rice grain
1 x 1 x 1 cm
status:
Hand-painted human figure on a rice grain. The work challenges us to think about how we fit into an indifferent Universe. Part of the Moon Gallery.
With this work I challenge others to think about how they fit into an indifferent Universe. Does its emptiness provide a canvas where change is possible or are we in perfect equilibrium? By hand- painting a human figure on a rice grain the viewer is confronted by the limits of their own scale to see the image and by the scale at which the human is represented in the larger Universe. Even though the figure is small and alone in a vast emptiness they are capable of standing out and creating visible change.
This feeling of miniscule scale and the question of genuine impact represent a connection between astronomy and philosophy that I visualize through art as a way of reminding us of this dissonance and to eventually come to terms with it. Humans struggle with comprehending the vastness of space and this incomprehension can be unsettling. Accepting the small magnitude of our existence is an important step in forming a more comfortable relationship with scale and the Universe.
Using a brush made from carbon nanotube thread and a microscope, I'm able to paint at a scale limited only by the precision of my hand movement. The figures are just barely distinguishable to the naked eye. The rice as a seed is a canvas and an element capable of profound impact in large quantities. How does it feel that the Universe contains scales at which a human, the Earth, and even the Solar System become indistinguishable?
Technical information
artist
Jack Madden
title
The Individual
date
2022
medium
rice grain
dimensions
1 x 1 x 1 cm
genre
Sculpture
IAAA art style
this work is part of the following collection
Moon Gallery
artwork COSPAR id
Launch
Space
Return
launch date​
19 Feb 2022
launch mission
Antares 230+ / NG-17 Cygnus resupply mission
launch provider
Northrop Grumman
return date
11 January 2023
return vehicle
Dragon CRS-26
return location
Gulf of Mexico
launch location
Wallops Island, VA, USA
host vehicle
International Space Station
return vehicle COSPAR id
2022-159A
launching state
location
USA
LEO, International Space Station (ISS)
host vehicle COSPAR id
1998-067A
status
Returned
launch vehicle COSPAR id
2022-015A
partners
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