Tag: fluids as art

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    “Níłtsą́”

    Living in the central and western United States, it’s easy to dismiss summer weather as just another storm, but the truth is that this region sees some of the most majestic and spectacular thunderstorms in the world. And no one captures that grandeur better than storm-chasing photographer Mike Olbinski. His latest film is named for the Navajo word for rain and features over 12 minutes of the best storms from 2021 and 2022. Towering turbulent clouds grow by convection, lightning splits the night sky, and microbursts pour down from above. As always, it’s a stunning depiction of the power of atmospheric fluid dynamics. (Image and video credit: M. Olbinski)

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    “Eternal Spring”

    With every spring comes the thaw. Warming temperatures melt winter’s ice, carving it away to reveal the surfaces beneath. Christopher Dormoy’s macroscale timelapse “Eternal Spring” captures this dynamic, showing the process drop-by-drop and rivulet-by-rivulet. It’s also a commentary on melting in general as human-driven climate change chips away at ice that formed over millennia. (Video and image credit: C. Dormoy)

  • Fog in the Blue Ridge Mountains

    Fog in the Blue Ridge Mountains

    Fog blankets the forest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in this photo by Tihomir Trichkov. It gives the photo the quality of an Impressionist painting. Rain from the day before left lots of moisture in the air and soil, contributing to the ethereal condensation lit by the sunrise. (Image credit: T. Trichkov; via Gizmodo)

  • “Water in Dripping”

    “Water in Dripping”

    Zheng Lu’s stainless steel sculptures capture elaborate splashes in action. In some of the pieces, thousands of Chinese characters cover the sculpture’s surface; these are quotes from historical texts and poems, an homage to early Chinese philosophers who studied the principles of the natural world. See more examples of the artist’s work here. (Image credit: Z. Lu; via Colossal)

  • Runescapes

    Runescapes

    Drying fluids can leave behind all kinds of fascinating patterns, as we’ve seen before with whiskey, coffee, and even blood. Here researchers study patterns left behind by lipids, dyes, and other fluids. They place their mixture in a rotating flask kept in a warm bath. For a few hours, the fluids mix, chemically react, and evaporate. The complex interactions that take place in that time leave behind fascinating, rune-like patterns, seen here under a microscope. It’s a bit like looking at photos of Martian landscapes! (Image credit: M. Murali and L. Shen)

  • “Fusion of Helios”

    “Fusion of Helios”

    Built from approximately 90,000 individual images, “Fusion of Helios” reveals the wisp-like corona of our Sun. Astrophotographers Andrew McCarthy and Jason Guenzel joined forces to combine eclipse images with data from NASA to build this fusion of art and science. Jets of plasma, known as spicules, dot the sun’s surface, and a towering tornado of plasma shoots off one side. For scale, that vortex stretches as far as 14 Earths stacked atop one another. (Image credit: A. McCarthy and J. Guenzel; via Colossal)

  • Banzai Pipeline From Above

    Banzai Pipeline From Above

    On the north shore of O’ahu, Hawaii, Banzai Pipeline is known for some of the most thrilling and deadly surfing in the world. The area’s barrel rolls are triggered when incoming waves break over the shallow reef. Photographer Kevin Krautgartner captures the waves from above, showcasing the incredible energy inherent in the ocean. The motion and texture of the water is mesmerizing. I feel like I could stare at these all day long! (Image credit: K. Krautgartner; via Colossal)

  • 100 For the Ocean

    100 For the Ocean

    One hundred photographers of all genres are coming together this month to raise money for ocean conservation in “100 For the Ocean.” Through the end of this month, they’re selling prints of these and other images, starting at $100 apiece. All proceeds will go to ocean conservation. Check out all the prints here, and if your wall has a bare spot, now’s a great time to add some artwork on a fluidsy nature. (Image credits: 100 For the Ocean, individual photographers listed in gallery titles; via Colossal)

    Disclosure: I have no affiliation whatsoever with this fundraiser. I just like great photos and preserving nature.

  • Snow-Covered Trees

    Snow-Covered Trees

    In the Hakkōda Mountains of Japan, snow encases the trees, transforming the ski slopes into a hoodoo-filled winter wonderland. Photographer Sho Shibata captured these images while journeying through the area a few years ago. The combination of wind and snow sculpts the trees into surprisingly similar shapes! (Image credit: S. Shibata; via Colossal)

  • “Evanescent”

    “Evanescent”

    Giant iridescent inflatables dot public spaces in the “Evanescent” exhibit. The “bubble-tecture” is the work of Sydney-based artistic collaboration Atelier Sisu. Conceived during the pandemic, the duo “endeavoured to communicate this feeling of transient beauty and the need to live in the moment through the idea of the bubble.” The exhibit has appeared in more than 22 cities in 12 different countries. (Image credit: Atelier Sisu; via Colossal)