London Fieldworks artists Bruce Gilchrist and Jo Joelson have explored the work of two scientists who studied the weather from mountain-top observatories in the nineteenth century, and who went on to develop instruments that presaged the development of particle physics and space plasma physics.

C. T. R. Wilson observed visual phenomena such as the ‘Brocken spectre’ in the skies above Ben Nevis in Scotland when working as a relief meteorologist. He went on to develop the cloud chamber, which enables the visualization of the tracks of subatomic particles, earning a Nobel prize for his efforts.

Kristian Birkeland's observations of the aurora borealis from the summit of Haldde in Norway inspired him to build the terrella, which models the aurora's relationship to solar activity.

Little Earth, a video installation that explores this move from lone observers of nature to an era of technological and abstract science, can be seen at the Wapping Project in London until 12 February, and then at the Fort William Mountain Film Festival in Scotland until 3 March.

http://www.londonfieldworks.com