Jonathan Capps
Sculpture

Jonathan Capps (American, b. 1982)
Teapot-Time Dilation 2014
blown, solid sculpted, diamond cut and polished glass; cut flat glass; custom fabricated and finished cherry wood; LED strip lights.
35.75  x 9.75 x 3″
Kamm Collection. 2014.73.6
Photo: courtesy of the artist.

This wall-mounted sculpture features an illuminated glass panel, which depicts the progression of a red circle into a teapot. The artist describes how the sculpture works. “I put the LED strips on a powerful dimmer that the viewer can crank up to very bright, or turn down to the point of outputting almost no light. In this way, the sculpture is interactive, in which the viewer is exposed to (and can change) light (wavelength), distance and time (perspective and placement in the room), and gravity (the size or mass of the viewer). These are all parts to the ‘Time Dilation Equation’ and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.”

“With Teapot Time Dilation, I am attempting to recognize different perspectives of a teapot in relationship to space, time, and light. I am curious about the differences in our perspectives and how those differences dictate not only what we see, but also what we think other people see.” — Jonathan Capps