How Great, How Much

Protests are just a 2D aspect of our current democratic system. The title is a play on the Greek word, Quantic, which can be roughly translated to "how great, how much" and is directly related to "quantum". Quantum mechanics are the theoretical basis of modern physics that describes the behavior of photons, electrons, and other particles. In relation to this essay, protestors, gatherers, and other subjects as a result of civil disorder are the particles being studied. Quantum physics clearly shows that the results of any observation are altered by the mere presence of the observer. In Plato's Allegory of the Cave, several people are born and raised in a cave. These individuals, who are chained, rely only on a single fire that reflects the outside world in shadows. Their whole lives are lived believing these silhouettes and know of nothing else. Eventually, one of the prisoners is cut from his chains and is allowed to see the outside world. Exposed to sunlight and animals among other things, he realizes that the shadows were not accurate, and is bewildered to find that he has been observing fragments of reality. This discovery comes with both pleasure and suffering. The Sublime further illustrates the concepts behind this pleasure and suffering. Objects, whether physical, moral, intellectual, metaphysical, spiritual, or aesthetic that enter the territory of the infinite or ‘iridescent chaos’ contains elements of the Sublime. The term is associated with, “ideas of awe, intensity ruggedness, terror, and vastness emphasizing Man's relative insignificance in the face of Nature, arousing emotions, and stimulating the imagination … of profound importance in relation to an appreciation of the grandeur and violence of phenomena. This project is a documentary of 4 years covering protests and gatherings across the UK and USA and will be premiered to the public in the form of an exhibition in Swansea on May 20th.