Peta Jacobs

Peta's work is inspired by quantum paradoxes. She explores the idea of particles and antiparticles, using lenticular photographs which give shifting views to the viewer. Black becomes white, red becomes green, purple becomes yellow.

The shifting pairs of colours are complimentary and reside opposite each other on the colour wheel—each transforms into its opposite (anti) colour as the viewer changes viewing angle. The image and anti-image are meshed together and what we see shifts between the two.

The colours and forms viewers see depend on their viewing point. The colours shift as they move around the piece.

When seen square-on, the piece appears to be black and white—vertical or horizontal drawn black ink lines are disrupted by the curve of the transparent film.

When seen from the side, a multitude of colours are revealed. The lines are interrupted, their shapes morphing and changing as the viewer moves position.

There is no actual painted colour in the piece, however, colours are seen as they are created by polarising light. Mirrors in the frame suggest that the work extends beyond its own boundaries towards infinity.

Peta is inspired by the theories of physicist, David Bohm and so 'Holomovement', wholeness and the dynamic intra-relationship of particle and wave at the quantum level are referenced in this series.

This series is inspired by the work of quantum physicist, David Bohm. This piece references his theories of the holomovement—the dance of matter between the enfolded implicate order and the manifest unfolded explicate order.

These photographs capture the dance of sunlight through dichroic film.

In Zen, the ensō, a hand drawn circle, symbolises enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and mu (the void).

Here, the circle is formed by sunlight shining through the dichroic film and the shapes and colours are drawn with light.

This is a pleated black and white laser print, however, soft colours are seen. They are created by diffraction of light shining through from the LED panel behind.

Ghost-like secondary images of the 'particles' lift off the printed surface to apparently overlay each other in subtle, soft hues of blues and oranges creating patterns that shift as the viewer moves position. These colours and patterns are made by the nature of light itself.

Mirrors suggest that the work extends beyond its own boundaries towards infinity.

Inspired by physicist David Bohm who posed that, at the quantum level, matter unfolds from an implicate order, becoming the explicate world we experience.

What viewers see shifts when they change their position. The visual shifts are most noticeable at the edges of the forms and it is not possible to determine exactly where the margin lies. This is inspired by a theme of indeterminate boundaries which is drawn from quantum physics.

This work also represents the paradox of unity from multiplicity. Close up, one sees all the separate dots and loses the gestalt of the whole, however, at a certain distance the image appears to unify.

A photographic investigation into the material properties of light, diffraction grating and dichroic film reveals unusually coloured reflections and shadows.

Diffraction grating and dichroidc materials are usually found in physics laboratories.

The works in this series promote multiple viewpoints, questioning the veracity of a fixed viewpoint. The truth of what one sees in these pieces shifts dependent on viewing position. The works are playful and 'tricky,' making use of a variety of optical effects, some of which are outside a person's ordinary visual experience.

Indeterminate Interface. In response to contemplating the interface between the crease between no-form and form, between an object and it's environment based on aspects of quantum uncertainty and indeterminacy (Heisenberg, 1927; Prigogine, 1997).

In these artworks, the boundary of each piece is questioned, asking exactly where the interface between the object and the environment exists. A definite frame is created by the hard edge of the printed acrylic media, mimicking a traditional picture frame. Simultaneously, the reflected coloured light extends beyond this outline, reaching out and blending with the light from the neighbouring piece, the intensity diminishing gradually and fading into the background as it extends from the block.

The interface is both an edge and a zone at the same time—the pieces are simultaneously, both contained and not contained,

A material exploration of diffraction grating resulted in several series of photographs revealing (amongst other things) the spectrum-hued beauty enfolded and hidden inside white light.

In these photographs shafts of white light emerge from the blackness. They are difused and reflected in the diffraction grating where the white light unfolds and springs into myiad arcing colours.

Here, I use a variety of materials, wire, beads, coin, and buttons to represent both particles, waves and quantum weirdness. These are overlaid by folds of diffraction grating (a material usually used for spectral analysis) distorting the forms with a series of coloured penumbras.

These coloured virtual 'shadows' create indeterminate, multiplied boundaries and edges. Solidity is questioned and there is a tension between density of the 'hole' and the ephemeral filigree strands.

Being set within a mirrored space creates visual relationships that change depending on viewer's position that reflect and unfold towards infinity. In a spirit of bridging duality and juxtaposition of opposites, there is a tension between the ephemeral, otherworldly quality seen from the top view and the surprising ordinariness revealed by looking at the objects from the side view.

Photographs of white light through diffraction grating. The spectrum colours are unfolded from white light.

Photographs of light with diffraction grating, the rainbow hues of white light are revealed.

“Peta Jacob’s uses of cloth, mirrors and digital technologies have a magical, alchemic resonance as they enfold and draw us into that borderline space between what we know and what we imagine”. Professor Lesley Millar, University for the Creative Arts.

Quantum Light: Beyond a Crisis of Perception

Solo show. James Hockey Gallery, University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Farnham, Surrey. November - December 2022.

Tansa 探査: Japanese threads of influence Process and Making

Gallery Gallery, Kyoto, Japan. May - June 2022.

Tansa—Large Works

South Hill Park, Bracknell, March - April 2022.

Tansa 探査: Japanese threads of influence Process and Making

Craft Study Centre, Farnham, Surrey. January - March 2022.

The Makers Tale

Wiltshire Creatives. Salisbury Arts Centre. September - October 2021.

Unit DX Anniversary event

Arnolfini , Bristol. 9 May 2019. (Photographs - Naomi Wood).

Temporal Connections

Group Show. Farnham Maltings, Surrey. March 24– 29 March 2018.

Unlikely Perceptions

The Old Fire Station Gallery, Henley-on-Thames. February 15-27 2018

Immateriality: Possibilities and Experiences

Group show. Herbert Reed Gallery, Canterbury, UK. April, 2016

Interactions with the Real

Group show. Royal Holloway, London. November 2015.

On the Edge of Becoming...

Solo show. Centrespace Gallery, Bristol BS1 1EA. May/June 2015 (Photograph - Ibolya Feher)

Lines of Communication

Group show. Hoxton Arches. London E2 8HD. May 2015.

Counterpoint: Design Meets Art

Co- exhibitor. A&D Gallery. London. January 2015.

Art from the Archives

Group show. Young Gallery, Salisbury. October/November2014.

Coded:Decoded unravelling the message

Group show. Mall Galleries. London. May 2014.

Cloth and Memory {2}

International group show. Saltsmill, Saltaire. August to November 2013.

www.clothandmemory.com

Made 2012

Group show. Hockey Gallery, Farnham. August/September 2012.

Hidden Places, Hidden Spaces

Group show. Mall Galleries, London. May/June 2012.

Group Show

Nagoya University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan.  May 2012.

Made 2011

Group show. Hockey Gallery, Farnham. August 2012