A thematic appraisal of Robleto's intertwined fascinations with the human heart and the cosmic boundaries of perception
The prints, sculptures and films of Houston-based artist Dario Robleto (born 1972) explore the pathos and the speculative potential of scientific inquiry. Structured around three themes that run through Robleto's art-heartbeats, wavelengths and horizons-this book traces his intertwined fascinations with the human heart and the cosmic boundaries of perception. Through contributions across the disciplines of musicology, anthropology, cardiology, engineering, history of science and art history, The Heart's Knowledge offers an engaging companion to Robleto's wide-ranging work. Richly illustrated with images, the volume includes selections from his 2017 portfolio The First Time, The Heart (A Portrait of Life 1854-1913), which transforms the pulse waves of early cardiography into a gallery of vanished souls, and the astral projections in such films as The Boundary of Life is Quietly Crossed (2020).
"American artist Dario Robleto (b. 1972) explores dynamic relationships between art and science that deepen our understanding of human emotion and our connection to the universe. The Heart's Knowledge: Science and Empathy in the Art of Dario Robleto focuses on Robleto's work over the past ten years, rooted in his fascinations with the scientific and cultural history of the human heart and the pulse wave as a visible expression of physical and emotional life. His 2017 portfolio, The First Time, The Heart (A Portrait of Life 1854-1913), draws on early cardiography to explore the crossroads of art and science, embracing unconventional materials to pose questions about human life and the heart as a site of a soul or human consciousness. Structured around three broad themes that appear in Robleto's oeuvre-Heartbeats, Wavelengths, and Horizons-the book also examines his groundbreaking sound and video work. These immersive installations explore wave phenomena across boundaries of inner and outer space, moving from heartbeats, to brainwaves, to the "cosmological horizon," the limits of our observable universe. Through a series of essays and discussions encompassing such diverse fields as musicology, anthropology, cardiology, engineering, history of science, and art history, the book reflects the artist's deeply interdisciplinary approach. The Heart's Knowledge sheds light on questions around the role of empathy in art, science, and medicine and proposes new models for understanding research-based creative practice in visual culture studies"--
