In 2003 I began experimenting with mirrors to reflect, “channel,” or re-route sunbeams around my studio. The result of these playful experiments was to use Red, Green and Blue color gels over mirrors in order to create a color picker using additive color mixing techniques. Heliography is a way of observing natural, ephemeral light and a wry deconstruction of the component RGB color imaging systems that are used, pixel by pixel to create images on televisions, computer monitors and video projection systems. As such, it is an abstract way to view the natural phenomena of sunlight and atmospheric animism. Moving clouds modulate the sunlight reflected by the mirrors and create moments where one can see the after image of the previous light and the motion as eyes and brian try to reconcile the ambiguous liminosity. As with a camera obscura, the mirrors enable one to make out the shapes and motion of the clouds as they blow by. The generative automatism of leaves blowing in trees and the wind interacting with the color gels ads an additional element of temporal motion.

Evolutions Idol is an improvised composition made by modulating the light from the 3 mirrors by hand. This activity was then recorded to a 3 chip, component RGB camera.

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