If anyone is interested, maybe we could form a small group and head on over to the Pace Gallery. I posted another blog about Thomas Nozkowski’s exhibition there about two weeks ago, and the scientific display I’m about to talk about here is also located at Pace Gallery. Of course, it’s not anything as riveting or exciting as a theater or dance performance, but I myself have always been more drawn to art exhibitions such as these. I’m just totally afraid that anyone who accompanies me will most certainly have a boring experience.
Moving on to the actual exhibition, photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto opened his display “The Day After” on November 6th. These photographs are his largest photos ever, and they took four years of RESEARCH to be perfected. Definitely not your average photo. He causes electrical sparks to emerge over the film’s surface so that it gives a striking lightning effect. His goal is to make the process seem similar to the situation of the first meteorite hitting Earth. It illustrates the most believed theory about the creation of life; the theory that states that life was created after meteorites covered with amino acids that plunged into the sea.
The process is interesting, as well as dangerous. He uses a 7 x 2.5 foot sheet of film which is laid on a metal plate, a 400,000 volt generator, and an electrical discharge wand (which is normally a metal kitchen device taped to a plexiglass handle). The manager of Sugimoto’s studio, Greg Stanger then flips the generator switch on while Sugimoto waves the wand around until the air “cackles with static electricity.” When Sugimoto’s intuition alerts him that he’s got the right dose of charge, he lowers the wand onto the sheet of film. WITH A LARGE BANG, a miniature lightning field is created. Despite wearing rubber shoes, both men have been shocked numerous times. He then chooses the best 8 by 10 portion of the film to enlarge, a process which he compares to cutting a piece of the sky.
The "Lightning Effect" of this scientific, electric artwork.
Anything worth seeing? I’d love to go see it, but again, seeing as it’s just a plain ol’ exhibition, I’m not sure if anyone else would be willing to go with me..
The article for the event can be viewed here
I personally view this as an incredible attempt to illustrate the beginning of life. I also feel that Sugimoto is a little crazy for the risks that he takes. He and his studio manager have gotten shocked in this process, and while it doesn’t seem to have majorly affected their health, a time may come where the cost of art may be a little too high-risk. Sugimoto also draws inspiration from the days where he used to experiment with drugs, another aspect of his career which I cannot entirely agree with. Being entirely against hallucinogens, I don’t see why he should have those particular experiences as inspiration.
I found this piece of work to be extremely stunning and innovative. The fact that the artist will go through this entire process numerous times in order to get it just right is truly amazing. This again shows the dedication many artists have towards their artwork and also the extent of their creativity.
This is an interesting way to capture a natural phenomenon. It does call into question what the artist’s job is in this case. It is more elaborate and technical, but is it really different from seeing the beauty in so many other natural phenomenon? (Clouds, rocks, landscape, trees, leaves, etc. etc.) Is the “creative” part of this work merely the artist’s eye, which he uses to decide which images are the “keepers?”