Index 02

About the Photographer

Carroll, Eric William

American, b. 1980

Eric William Carroll’s project G.U.T. Feeling (2011)–of which Index 02, Index 06, and Unbelievable form part–is a collection of found scientific documents and self-made photographs that draw on recurring themes and images in theoretical physics. Graphs, charts, drawings, and pictures are arranged in orderly groupings, playfully traversing fact and fiction to give a fractured account of the order of the universe. The series is Carroll’s attempt to create his own Grand Unification Theory (G.U.T.), an idea inspired by efforts in Particle Physics and String Theory to find a single, interconnected explanation of all occurrences within the Universe – past, present and future. In an act of lighthearted contemplation, Carroll exposes the absurdity of trying to comprehend the whole of existence. His title highlights the role of intuition and emotion in human cognition and scientific endeavors.

Eric William Carroll completed an MFA in Photography at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2006), and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (2002). Solo and two-person shows include Plato’s Home Movies, Rayko Photo Center, San Francisco (2011); Recent Developments/Speed of Dark, Michael Mazzeo Gallery, New York (2010); and Sunburn, Minnesota Center for Photography, Minneapolis (2007). Carroll is the recipient of several awards, including a MacDowell Colony Fellowship (2010); Art City Professional Artist Residency, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (2006); and Blacklock Emerging Artist Fellowship, Blacklock Nature Sanctuary, Minnesota (2006).