Marlena Hewitt is the artist for Octave of Light, a concept album of exoplanet music created by David Ibbett, Guest Composer at Fermilab and Director of Multiverse Concert Series.

Octave of Light was created in collaboration with Dr. Roy Gould of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and was recorded entirely during the COVID lockdown. The project is inspired by the search for life on exoplanets, and the clues that might reveal life’s presence: chemical signs like water vapor, methane and oxygen!

The album is being released on November 12 in a free music concert! But you can enjoy some of the exoplanet-inspired art and music from the album below, and Marlena shares her creative journey in painting exoplanets for the album.

Spray Sketch

My name is Marlena Hewitt. I’m a classically trained visual artist and architect based in Poland. I enjoy working on artistic, creative science illustrations.

I create abstract and conceptual art, or art that takes us beyond something that is known. I uncover, categorize, define and recreate the unknown by visual arts. I use visual language to share stories, including science stories.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.” Collaborations between art and science give me an amazing opportunity and a platform to create something visually beautiful and meaningful at the same time.

Process

My body of work for Octave of Light consists of abstract spray sketches of a planet as a visual octave of light, as well as abstract pouring art to the music created by David. Each composition in the album has its own accompanying painting – Wanderers, Methane, Ceres, and Equals Life.

Spray sketches – These images ultimately became the cover for the Octave of Light album!

Pouring Art – Wanderers, Methane, Ceres, and Equals Life

The complete exhibition can be viewed in 3D on Artsteps, together with the musical pieces by David!

Join us on November 12 to launch the full project with the Boston Science Museum.