Jenifer Wightman
science+art
Backlit
Sciadophyton (a Devonian era plant) on a light fixture near the 14th St Electric Generating Plant in NYC
photo by Benjamin Heller
Backlit
Favositidae and Goniatites Fossils on the 1st Avenue L Subway Balls
photo by Benjamin Heller
Backlit
14th St, NY, NY as part of Art in Odd Places
2011
variable size
Laser decals, variable dimensions.
If there is one ritual common among all New Yorkers, it is energy use. Everyday, we flip fossil fueled switches. These invisible streams of electrons run our computers, escalators, elevators, fans and lights. Fossil fuels come primarily from solar energy captured by Devonian and Carboniferous era plants and animals. For the Art in Odd Places (AiOP) festival, I placed fossils on lighting fixtures on 14th Street originating at the East River Power Plant, a natural gas electric generating station.
These petroleum-based decals are from image plates compiled in books from the 1800s, stored in our high-energy steel constructed NY public library system, captured by a rechargeable camera, photoshopped on my computer, printed in a laser printer, and illuminated for you by what is commonly called natural gas but what is really Devonian era fossils compressed into black gold. There is poetry in illumination.
Receive a fossil decal if you send me a self-addressed stamped envelope.
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An attempt at a Backlit Legend
Minutes before the police arrived to tell me I had 'defaced' (with easily removable decals) private property (temporarily placed on public sidewalks) and obstructed public space (on the same side walk) with my (significantly smaller and closed) ladder. Ah Uniqlo, think of all the press we could have shared with your most spectacular light boxes and my little fossils...