So this artist Charles Ross has been making art with magnified sunlight since the 70s at least. http://charlesrossstudio.com/solarburnworks/magicsquares.html
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| Solar Burn In the Time It Takes Sunlight to Reach the Earth. Jan 30, 1977 |
For the work pictured below, Ross burned wooden planks with a fixed lense every day of the year. This project lasted from March 20, 1992 to March 20, 1993.
This installation is of interest to me because of the patterns the burns make arranged on the floor - a double spiral. Not unlike the labyrinths of Greece, which charted a wandering path meant to represent life's journeys. It resembles the ying yang symbols of Taoism. This double spiral pattern is also considered sacred by druids, for marking the passage of the sun through the year.
The use of such a powerful force and symbol as the sun to create this work gives it a unique power.
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| A Year of Solar Burns : 366 Days |
An awesome concept, beautifully realized.
