What Matters? by Kelly Lorena
Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of matter, the Universe, and life itself. Although all matter in the natural world is composed of these substances called elements, their unique identities still seem distant to us. Hence, ‘What Matters?’ is a project that aims to distil and recontextualise the data on elements’ identities into more familiar visual forms.
Data
The elemental fingerprints or spectral lines of 14 elements, from Hydrogen to Silicon, were studied and visualised in the attempt to understand and identify the matters that fuel life. Statistical data on elemental abundance found in the Universe and the human body were also collated in the forms of a line graph and donut graphs.
Artefact
To capture the essence of an element’s identity, their atomic orbital, structure and vibration were explored on p5.js. The visual study and abstraction of their spectral lines were also documented, leading up to the final p5.js sketch which illustrates how an element’s identity is formed through its unique energy dispersion.