Through the Eyes of Mhairi, Caroline & JP
Exploring the Meteorite, Imilac
Meet Mhairi (she/her), Caroline (she/her) and JP (he/him), students at the University. They chose the cross section of the meteorite Imilac . It made them feel curious and inquisitive, wondering where it came from and how it made its way here. Everyone agreed that the meteorite looked otherworldly, and had a grounding effect, putting things into perspective.
Mhairi is a mature student studying undergraduate History of Art. She balances her time between looking after her family and university life. Mhairi was drawn to the light and shade of the object, created by the indentations on the surface, reminding her of rocks found when beachcombing on stony coastlines.
Caroline is from America, and is working towards her Masters in International Relations. Her passions are learning, history and social justice. Like Mhairi, Caroline was drawn in by the contrast of the bright rock and the marks on the surface which make it seem tactile. It reminds her of ancient ruins worn away by the power of nature and time.
JP is an undergraduate Acoustics and Music Technology student, who also studies Norwegian. He records music in his spare time, and likes to create art. He says that the object looks unusual and is unlike many things you see in everyday life. JP could almost feel the weight of the object in his hand, recalling his dad giving him a piece of meteorite when he was younger.
‘It does look like a painted object…there’s an unknown quality to it’
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| Object reference | EUCM.0647.2008 |
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‘I’m kind of drawn to the contrast and to have missed like all of those kind of lines, like little imperfections’
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| Object reference | EUCM.0647.2008 |
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‘The object makes me feel aware of the scale of the universe in a very peaceful way, the same feeling as watching the stars at night.’
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| Object reference | EUCM.0647.2008 |
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Follow along with a grounding exercise from Dr Kitty Wheater. Click play to start the audio, and then explore the image below using the zoom and movement functions.
If you would like to try it with another artwork, or, perhaps, as part of your daily mindfulness routine, the audio is also available for download by clicking on the menu icon (three vertical dots) and selecting "Download".
Imilac is a pallasite meteorite, discovered in Atacama, Chile. Pallasite meteorites are left over from the formation of the solar system over 4.5 billion years ago, and could have existed before the planets were fully formed. Meteorites of this kind, made up of a mixture of metal and rocky minerals, usually make the long journey to Earth from the Asteroid belt orbiting in the space between Mars and Jupiter. The digital reproduction here shows the shiny face resulting from the cross-sectioning process, performed on the meteorite to allow the viewer to see the difference between its interior and exterior composition, as sometimes some of the crystalline elements of these pallasite meteorites are lost on their journey through space. This process also highlights the shiny iron metal, and the greenish-yellow crystals, alongside its more matte, weathered, exterior surface.
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| Object reference | EUCM.0647.2008 |
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Through Your Eyes
Now, feel free to take what you need from this exhibition. Kitty’s audio, which guides you through mindful engagement, is available to download here. Why not try using it with the related collections items below?
