BU Engineer

The Art in Engineering

By Kara J. Peterson

Old paint on canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman’s dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called pentimento because the painter “repented,” changed his mind. Perhaps it would be as well to say that the old conception, replaced by a later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again.

Legendary playwright Lillian Hellman wrote this passage in her memoir Pentimento: A Book of Portraits. Hellman is writing about people who “wittingly or unwittingly” influenced her life and work. “That is all I mean about the people in this book,” she writes. “The paint has aged now and I wanted to see what there was for me once, what there is for me now.”But in Sirarpi Heghinian-Walzer’s case, these words mean something else. “Pentimento reminds me of my artwork,” Sirarpi says. And one could easily say this passage is a pretty good description of her life as well.

Heghinian-Walzer (’82) is a professional engineer and an accomplished artist. She speaks six languages, has lived around the world, and teaches art to children. “I’m never bored,” she jokes. Now living and working in Lexington, Massachusetts, she recently took some time to discuss art, engineering, and the connection between the two.

It is before opening at the Depot Square Gallery in Lexington. Sirarpi arrives with a coffee in one hand and the gallery keys in her other. Her work is currently on exhibit, taking up four spacious walls. As she flips the light switches, she takes the time to point out her favorites.

Sirarpi’s artwork is rich in layers and textures. The pieces are colorful and playful, and some seem almost musical, a comparison not lost on this classical music and jazz aficionado. Some of the work, however, has a darker feel and is painted in shades of gray and black. Sirarpi calls these her “winter moods,” which were mostly done in Berlin. “The winter is awfully bleak in Germany,” she explains.

Using oils and acrylics, inks, and pastels, Sirarpi draws, scrawls, scrapes, and paints on canvas and wood surfaces that are thick in layers of handmade and recycled papers, fabric, wood powder, sand, and other natural materials like tea bags, coffee grounds, or “whatever I can get my hands on.”

But just how does an engineer who worked on pacemaker design, medical laser instrumentation, and broadband technology end up being an artist? Sirarpi smiles when she explains that the two are not so different. “Both engineering and art involve the creative process,” she says. “They are just creative in different ways.”

Sirarpi Heghinian-Walzer, born Sirarpi Heghinian, moved to the United States when she was 13 years old. Her family settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she went to high school. After graduating, she went to Boston University and the College of Engineering. “My whole family is very scientific,” she explains. “Art school was not something I even considered.” Instead, she studied biomedical, electrical, and systems engineering, eventually earning a Bachelor’s of Science in biomedical engineering/electrical engineering and a Master’s of Science in systems engineering.

After graduating from ENG in 1982, Sirarpi worked for various engineering firms in Massachusetts, designing such things as infrared imaging, night vision systems, hand-held thermal sensors, and electro-optical systems. In 1987, she moved to Berlin, Germany, with her husband and got involved with the design and development of state-of-the-art pacemakers at Biotronik GmbH, a medical instrumentation firm. “The work was very exciting,” she says. “I was specifying test circuits and procedures for testing pacemakers. But after my first child was born, I decided to move to another field where I could work part time.”

Sirarpi moved into telecommunications, which was a rapidly growing field at the time. “The German government was really pushing the development of broadband technology,” she says. “They saw it as a great tool to facilitate the integration of the eastern part of the country.”

It was during these years in Berlin that Sirarpi the artist blossomed. It started with the occasional night class in painting and set/theater design. Her teachers encouraged her to pursue her artistic work, and she was “open to new challenges.” In 1995, she earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from the Academy for the Fine Arts in Berlin. “My interest in painting has always been there,” she says. “If the love of art is in your blood, you’ll always find it again.”

These days, Sirarpi considers herself both an engineer and an artist. By day, you can find her at SNB Communications, a management consulting firm in Lexington serving communications, Internet, and entertainment clients. As Sirarpi the artist, her newest project seems to incorporate her engineering background. Using a technique she learned from Peter Erskine at the Academy for the Fine Arts in Berlin, Sirarpi treats sunlight as “paint” and viewers as “canvas.” Termed Solar Spectrum/ Environmental Art, this process uses natural sunlight and laser-cut, flat prisms to spread huge splashes of natural rainbow color across interior spaces. Viewers actually walk inside a rainbow. They become living canvases as millions of changing colors flow across their bodies, mixing and creating colored shadows on the walls, floor, and other visitors.

So is she an artist or an engineer? “First, I consider myself a mother,” she says. “And then, I see both aspects of my life as equally important. Take one away, and I would feel incomplete.” She smiles, and then adds, “Besides, I think it’s good for the left and right sides of the brain to communicate.”

—Sirarpi's art is in many collections nationally and internationally. She has received awards and exhibited extensively in galleries throughout Europe and the US. Studio hours are by appointment, or visit the Depot Square Gallery at 1837 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington. For more information, call (781) 863-1597 or visit the gallery’s Web site at www.depotsquaregallery.com.


The Art in Engineering By Kara J. Peterson Old paint on canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman’s dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called pentimento because the painter “repented,” changed his mind. Perhaps it would be as well to say that the old conception, replaced by a later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again. Legendary playwright Lillian Hellman wrote this passage in her memoir Pentimento: A Book of Portraits. Hellman is writing about people who “wittingly or unwittingly” influenced her life and work. “That is all I mean about the people in this book,” she writes. “The paint has aged now and I wanted to see what there was for me once, what there is for me now.”But in Sirarpi Heghinian-Walzer’s case, these words mean something else. “Pentimento reminds me of my artwork,” Sirarpi says. And one could easily say this passage is a pretty good description of her life as well. Heghinian-Walzer (’82) is a professional engineer and an accomplished artist. She speaks six languages, has lived around the world, and teaches art to children. “I’m never bored,” she jokes. Now living and working in Lexington, Massachusetts, she recently took some time to discuss art, engineering, and the connection between the two. It is before opening at the Depot Square Gallery in Lexington. Sirarpi arrives with a coffee in one hand and the gallery keys in her other. Her work is currently on exhibit, taking up four spacious walls. As she flips the light switches, she takes the time to point out her favorites. Sirarpi’s artwork is rich in layers and textures. The pieces are colorful and playful, and some seem almost musical, a comparison not lost on this classical music and jazz aficionado. Some of the work, however, has a darker feel and is painted in shades of gray and black. Sirarpi calls these her “winter moods,” which were mostly done in Berlin. “The winter is awfully bleak in Germany,” she explains. Using oils and acrylics, inks, and pastels, Sirarpi draws, scrawls, scrapes, and paints on canvas and wood surfaces that are thick in layers of handmade and recycled papers, fabric, wood powder, sand, and other natural materials like tea bags, coffee grounds, or “whatever I can get my hands on.” But just how does an engineer who worked on pacemaker design, medical laser instrumentation, and broadband technology end up being an artist? Sirarpi smiles when she explains that the two are not so different. “Both engineering and art involve the creative process,” she says. “They are just creative in different ways.” Sirarpi Heghinian-Walzer, born Sirarpi Heghinian, moved to the United States when she was 13 years old. Her family settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she went to high school. After graduating, she went to Boston University and the College of Engineering. “My whole family is very scientific,” she explains. “Art school was not something I even considered.” Instead, she studied biomedical, electrical, and systems engineering, eventually earning a Bachelor’s of Science in biomedical engineering/electrical engineering and a Master’s of Science in systems engineering. After graduating from ENG in 1982, Sirarpi worked for various engineering firms in Massachusetts, designing such things as infrared imaging, night vision systems, hand-held thermal sensors, and electro-optical systems. In 1987, she moved to Berlin, Germany, with her husband and got involved with the design and development of state-of-the-art pacemakers at Biotronik GmbH, a medical instrumentation firm. “The work was very exciting,” she says. “I was specifying test circuits and procedures for testing pacemakers. But after my first child was born, I decided to move to another field where I could work part time.” Sirarpi moved into telecommunications, which was a rapidly growing field at the time. “The German government was really pushing the development of broadband technology,” she says. “They saw it as a great tool to facilitate the integration of the eastern part of the country.” It was during these years in Berlin that Sirarpi the artist blossomed. It started with the occasional night class in painting and set/theater design. Her teachers encouraged her to pursue her artistic work, and she was “open to new challenges.” In 1995, she earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from the Academy for the Fine Arts in Berlin. “My interest in painting has always been there,” she says. “If the love of art is in your blood, you’ll always find it again.” These days, Sirarpi considers herself both an engineer and an artist. By day, you can find her at SNB Communications, a management consulting firm in Lexington serving communications, Internet, and entertainment clients. As Sirarpi the artist, her newest project seems to incorporate her engineering background. Using a technique she learned from Peter Erskine at the Academy for the Fine Arts in Berlin, Sirarpi treats sunlight as “paint” and viewers as “canvas.” Termed Solar Spectrum/ Environmental Art, this process uses natural sunlight and laser-cut, flat prisms to spread huge splashes of natural rainbow color across interior spaces. Viewers actually walk inside a rainbow. They become living canvases as millions of changing colors flow across their bodies, mixing and creating colored shadows on the walls, floor, and other visitors. So is she an artist or an engineer? “First, I consider myself a mother,” she says. “And then, I see both aspects of my life as equally important. Take one away, and I would feel incomplete.” She smiles, and then adds, “Besides, I think it’s good for the left and right sides of the brain to communicate.” —Sirarpi's art is in many collections nationally and internationally. She has received awards and exhibited extensively in galleries throughout Europe and the US. Studio hours are by appointment, or visit the Depot Square Gallery at 1837 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington. For more information, call (781) 863-1597 or visit the gallery’s Web site at www.depotsquaregallery.com.
Originally published in BU Engineer Copyright Trustees of Boston University Last updated on: May 10, 2004 .