The Shape of Uncertainty

Abstract

“The Shape of Uncertainty” is a painting created through my collaboration with QCORE, Montana State University’s quantum computing research initiative. The work bridges the languages of art and science, exploring how painting can visualize the principles of quantum computing, such as superposition, entanglement, and the role of observation in shaping reality. Through this painting, I seek to demystify quantum mechanics by showing how these principles exist not only in abstract theory but also in life’s everyday experiences, inviting viewers to encounter unseen structures of reality through light, movement, and perception. My artistic practice has long been centered on translation, creating paintings that communicate complex human experience in simple ways that connect to the soul. My work is guided by a goal of inspiring empathy and deepening understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Through a personal lens, I explore emotional and psychological complexity, reflecting on memory, healing, vulnerability, empowerment, and the space between consciousness and the physical world. Over time, this process has evolved into diving into the unknown, whether through a new medium or idea, and discovering clarity through creation itself. “The Shape of Uncertainty” extends this pursuit into the scientific realm. The painting emerged from conversations with physicists, leadership, and researchers at QCORE, exploring how art can contribute to scientific discovery and research translation. Quantum mechanics reveals a world where observation alters outcome, where particles exist in multiple states simultaneously, and where uncertainty is foundational rather than a flaw. These ideas took form through imagery grounded in Montana. The horse, a familiar symbol of the West, became a way to translate quantum principles into something tangible. When running together, horses appear as a single wave, yet up close their individuality becomes clear, much like how light behaves as both a wave and a particle. In their power, the horses reflect quantum computing itself: an immense, untamed force shaped by human ingenuity, just as humans domesticated the wild horse. Points of detail anchor the viewer, while areas of abstraction leave room for reflection and discovery. Through three-dimensional forms and translucent layers of paint, the work resists a single interpretation, embodying the essence of quantum behavior and giving shape to uncertainty. Visitors were invited to add their own small chalk marks representing particles of light above the horses’ heads, mirroring quantum uncertainty and measurement. Each mark was placed intuitively, appearing as chaos at first, yet over time, patterns began to emerge, reflecting how statistical order arises from randomness in quantum systems. Visitors unknowingly entangled themselves with each other through shared participation in the living, expanding system that the painting embodies. Ultimately, the painting invites viewers to experience quantum not as an abstract or complex theory, but as a metaphor for how we perceive, connect, and find meaning within the unknown.