Found a pot of gold at the LBT

Wow! A double rainbow over the dragoon rocks! What a way to say good bye to Tucson and the Large Binocular Telescope!

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It is small, has a reddish back, little ears and was sighted at about 9,000 feet. It MIGHT be the famously shy and endangered Mount Graham Red Squirrel (or not, but it was pretty exciting to see it on the final trip down the mountain!)

A civilized gathering of science and art at the final exhibition in the boardroom of the LBT offices.

First wall of the exhibition — on the left is my large canvas, unfinished of “Mountain of Knowledge” which has quotes from LBT staff about their contributions to the telescope, which rests on top of their quotes. The rest of the wall are some of my photographs in small format.

At the final exhibition: this is one of the two walls of my work in progress — sketches, small paintings and photos.

Sho-do or ‘way of writing’ is a competitive martial art in the mountains surrounding Kyoto. LBT Staffers made some lovely versions. On the far left are texture maps by LBT Staff.

Sumi-e paintings and cyanotype mono prints created by LBT staff.

This is the five person 365 degree landscape exercise — one of five books produced. My work is in the background

Au Revoir from ‘the artist’

This has been such an amazing and rich arts residency that I was confiding to Director, Christian Veillet that it is hard to leave. I was honoured by all the people who opened their lives and discussed the passion with which they do their work. Everyone was extremely supportive, even if not really ‘getting it’ that an artist wished to make art about their lives and narratives. I have been invited back to present the finished art in the future and am keen to revisit this place and these people.

The final exhibition was a marvellous party, with a mixture of telescope staff who participated in the workshops, their family members and other LBT staff. I had two walls of my own explorations and two walls of the work produced by LBT staff and their families. Director Christian Veillet announced that 3 PM on Friday was the time for the big ‘reveal’ of the board room transformed into an art gallery. There were delicious nibbles, and nice things to drink and it was all great fun.

My final full day in Tucson was spent driving up to the telescope to show it to my husband, Martin. On the drive we experienced sunshine, hail, rain, rainbows over the dragoons and possibly the rare Mt. Graham red squirrel (between 8 and 9,000 feet).

I am most grateful to everyone who was supportive of me on this venture — for Christian for having the vision and trust to invite and be supportive of me on this residency and as well, the scientists, the engineers, the software specialists, the technicians, the accountants and everyone who told me about their part in this magnificent observatory: the Large Binocular Telescope. Thank you!

 

 

 

A chalk abstraction of Linc Nirvana cables.