The art produced by highly trained scientific specialists has always fascinated me. The merging of science and art is nothing new, however; the work by Frederick Eversley is surprisingly minimal for a person with his training and background. Eversley was born in Brooklyn in 1941 and trained as an aerospace engineer. He designed the high-intensity acoustic and vibration test laboratories for NASA’s Apollo and Gemini missions, which laid the groundwork for the moon landings. In 1967 Eversley retired from engineering and focused his energy on making art. He has had major exhibitions at the Getty and Smithsonian. His art has been described as having a “finish fetish” and within the art community is considered a type of minimalism that is perhaps more decorative — like the highly refined surfaces found on surfboards and hot rods.
The work shown here, entitled Big Red Lens (1985), was produced using polyester resin that was spun on a turntable to make a perfect parabolic form. A parabola creates an optical and acoustic focal point that can concentrate light energy, radio waves and sound. Eversley considers his work kinetic art that does not require mechanical movement or artificial effects. The work and the way it is displayed certainly creates an interesting and dynamic optical experience — altering the architecture and natural surroundings — changing the way we perceive the world around us. It is fascinating that a highly trained scientist would see the culmination of his life’s work as expressing the simplicity, serenity, elegance and beauty revealed through his technical understandings of the natural world.