Bridge Art Fair 2008

Quick Description: Site-specific, single-frame time exposure photographs created at night combining installation and environmental process art sensibilities. The current work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels that move in real time along custom track systems across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible.
Detailed Description: The current work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in colored gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. This work has developed over the past twenty years, and employs two distinct systems to move the fluorescent tubes. First came a pulley system, rigged by the photographer?s husband and technical collaborator, which allowed a tube to be raised vertically, to form a sheet of light. Then a moveable track system was devised so that a fluorescent tube?s movement could conform to the slope of a hillside with undulating runs of vividly colored light. In these photographs, it is the working process itself which creates a multiplicity of visual possibilities. Each location is visited in the daylight for the basic planning of the installations, and to take photographs on which are sketched preliminary ideas. The site is always visited at night, as well, to judge the ambient light, whether artificial or natural sky light, available for the final image. The process is both deliberate and intuitive. There is the considered placement of the camera and tripod, and the overlapping of colored illumination to create new hues using light?s additive palette. The speed at which the bulb travels, the preferred density and saturation of color, the placement of color, and the patterning of the bulbs are all intuitive decisions that arise while work is being made. The photographs all happen in real time?there is no digital imaging used. In this work, the light burns the emulsion of the film and creates images that otherwise would not exist, like paintings. And as with paintings, it is best for individual viewers to experience their own direct responses on a personal level.


Light Tartans: Fountain Park #6
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 40x54"; Medium: photograph


Light Tartans: Fountain Park #4
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 40"x54"; Medium: Photograph


Union Terrace #8
The current work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 40x54 inches; Medium: Photograph


Union Terrace #7
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 40x54 inches; Medium: Photograph


Union Terrace #6
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 40x54 inches; Medium: Photograph


Union Terrace #4
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 40x54 inches; Medium: Photograph


Union Terrace #3
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 40x54 inches; Medium: Photograph


1911 Red
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Court of North Carolina #2
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Court of North Carolina #1
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Court of North Carolina #3
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Non-Function Follows Form #1
This work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 20"x24"; Medium: Photograph


Study with Primary Colors
This work uses four-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 20"x24"; Medium: Photograph


Homage to Josef Albers #6
The current work uses eight-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time.
Dimensions: 40"x54"; Medium: Photograph


Obama Bull
This photograph uses four-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create a site-specific single-frame time exposure photograph. The result is a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'painting' all happens in real time. This series was created in support of the Obama campaign and was featured on the Obama Art Report : http://www.obamaartreport.com/search?q=Vicki+DaSilva
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Bailout Bull!
This photograph uses a compact fluorescent lamp to create a site-specific single-frame time exposure photograph at night.The result is Light Graffiti, a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'writing' all happens in real time. This series was created in response to the world financial meltdown.
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Obama 08!
This photograph uses a compact fluorescent lamp to create a site-specific single-frame time exposure photograph at night.The result is Light Graffiti, a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'writing' all happens in real time. This series was created in support of the Obama campaign and was featured on the Obama Art Report: http://www.obamaartreport.com/search?q=Vicki+DaSilva
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Obama In the House!!
This photograph uses a compact fluorescent lamp to create a site-specific single-frame time exposure photograph at night.The result is Light Graffiti, a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'writing' all happens in real time. This series was created in support of the Obama campaign and was featured on the Obama Art Report: http://www.obamaartreport.com/search?q=Vicki+DaSilva
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Obama Hope at the End of the Tunnel
This photograph uses four-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create a site-specific single-frame time exposure photograph. The result is a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. This series was created in support of the Obama campaign and was featured on the Obama Art Report : http://www.obamaartreport.com/search?q=Vicki+DaSilva
Dimensions: 20x24"; Medium: photograph


Covered Bridge #1
This work uses four-foot fluorescent tube lamps encased in color gels to create site-specific single-frame time exposure photographs. The tubes move across the topography of a landscape or in relation to a built structure, to create a vibrant, purely photographic reality, while allowing the existing setting to remain visible. The act of 'light painting' all happens in real time. This work has developed over the past twenty years, and employs two distinct systems to move the fluorescent tubes. First came a pulley system, rigged by the photographer?s husband and technical collaborator, which allowed a tube to be raised vertically, to form a sheet of light. Then a moveable track system was devised so that a fluorescent tube?s movement could conform to the slope of a hillside with undulating runs of vividly colored light. In these photographs, it is the working process itself which creates a multiplicity of visual possibilities. Each location is visited in the daylight for the basic planning of the installations, and to take photographs on which are sketched preliminary ideas. The site is always visited at night, as well, to judge the ambient light, whether artificial or natural sky light, available for the final image. The process is both deliberate and intuitive. There is the considered placement of the camera and tripod, and the overlapping of colored illumination to create new hues using light?s additive palette. The speed at which the bulb travels, the preferred density and saturation of color, the placement of color, and the patterning of the bulbs are all intuitive decisions that arise while work is being made. The photographs all happen in real time?there is no digital imaging used. In this work, the light burns the emulsion of the film and creates images that otherwise would not exist, like paintings. And as with paintings, it is best for individual viewers to experience their own direct responses on a personal level.
Dimensions: 20"x24"; Medium: Photograph