Meet the Photographer: Robert Hendricks
Join us on Monday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. to meet photographer Robert Hendricks whose exhibit, "Splash: The Merger of Art and Engineering - A Photo Essay," is on view in the Virginia A. Carten Gallery through Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Registration is required. Please register at tinyurl.com/Splash-Photographer.
Photographs capturing water splashes are created in a dark room using open shutter techniques and brief bursts of light from flash guns. This exhibit features selected images from over 1,300 taken with pure water and a small amount of dishwasher drying fluid. Water's high surface tension leads to unique splash structures. The exhibit explores some fascinating instabilities in the structures of the splashes and the interactions of carefully timed release of second and even third drops of water that have been made to collide in mid-air. The timing of these events requires a fundamental knowledge of physics, chemistry, electronics and photography to record events that occur in less than a quarter of a second.
Robert W. Hendricks earned his undergraduate degree in metallurgical engineering in 1959 and his doctorate in materials science in 1964 from Cornell University. He began his career as a research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, focusing on x-ray and neutron diffraction, before moving to the private sector as Chief Scientist at a nuclear industry start-up in 1981. In 1986, he became a Professor at Virginia Tech's Materials Science and Engineering Department, serving as Associate Head for eleven years and earning Fellow status in multiple scientific organizations.
Hendricks retired in 2018 as Professor Emeritus after almost 60 years. He and his wife moved to the North Shore to be near their daughter and her family who reside in Marblehead. Throughout his life, Hendricks has nurtured a passion for photography. He has established a comprehensive digital photography studio in his home and dedicates his time to preparing lectures and photo exhibits on a variety of topics.
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2870918-0
