Future Tense

The painter Alexis Rockman gets worked up by news from the scientific world. He wants his paintings to help people visualize — and get a little freaked out by — big phenomena like genetic engineering and global warming. He doesn’t have a science background, but Rockman consults with so many scientists before he starts to paint, he’s become something of an expert himself. Trey Kay caught up with the artist at his studio and spoke with him about imagining the future.