
C. Annie Hart
Bio
I am a self taught artist born in southern Illinois in the 90's. I travelled across the Mississippi to attend Saint Louis University, where I obtained Bachelors degrees in Chemistry and Applied Mathematics. While at SLU, I researched the origins of life by investigating the influence of salt on the hydrolysis of proteins in the Bracher lab.
I recently obtained my PhD in Physical Chemistry from Washington University in Saint Louis. My doctoral research in the Mabbs lab focuses on the reaction information contained in the angular distributions of velocity map images of photoelectrons. That material is a major source of inspiration for my artwork.
Artist Statement
In the laboratory and my studio, invisible phenomena are made visible through experiments, imaging, and repetition. Working in the Mabbs lab, we use velocity mapped imaging of photoelectrons to understand gas phase reactions. Through highly repetitive experiments, patterns emerge from seemingly random results.
In my studio I use sculpture, prints, and digital media to make those invisible phenomena more accessible. By using a weighted random sampling of distributions that match experimental results, I generate the coordinates of points in each sculpture. The same coordinates are transferred into 3D modeling software, where I create digital animations as well as models for 3D printed blocks for relief prints. Through multiple forms of visualization, my work seeks to reveal the quantum mechanics of reactions and the techniques used to study them.
Publications
Journal of Chemical Physics
(2024)
The Overlooked Role of
Excited Anion States in NiO2—
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
(2021)
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
(2022)
Dipole Effects in the
Angular Distributions of the Sulfur Monoxide Anion
Journal of Visualized Experiments
(2018)
Nature Chemistry
News & Views
(2021)
Stabilized Resonances are No Less Exciting
Tetrahedron Letters
(2018)
The Opposite Effect
of K+ and Na+ on the Hydrolysis of Linear and Cyclic Dipeptides