About Dust
The one in the studio
Studio, Fletcher Building, Providence
Rhode Island, US
2022
For the first iteration of the constantly evolving body of work About Dust, I approach the phenomena of dust from many perspectives, including particles captured in raindrops, light, and condensation. My work attempts to highlight these phenomena in a variety of ways that uncover their subtlety and invisibility.
The Raindrop (About Dust #1), rain, Providence, RI, US, 09/22/2022, W15cm×H17cm×D16cm
A little wooden box (About Dust #1) is placed on a pedestal in the hallway that leads to the space. On the top of it, a magnifying glass sits on a navy velvet cushion. Underneath the magnifier is a slide with marks of rain collected on the surface on one autumn day after a long dry summer. Fine dust captured in each drop is amplified under the lens. Living at the entrance, it is the preface to the journey that people are about to go on.
Behind the Wall (About Dust #2), dust, light, glass, variable dimensions
Across the room, in the southeast corner, a small aperture (About Dust #2) is opened on the wall. Moving closer to the piece, through the threshold, one discovers celestial imagery that is constantly changing. The phenomenon is created by a wobbly glass panel slumped from a hand-blown cylinder. Rather than pursuing the high clarity, I intentionally encased dust between each gather of hot glass. Though dust is such an insignificant entity, the impurities are noticed once the panel is lit on the side. In that moment, the particles frozen in time become the swarming stars, shifting people’s perceptions from dust on the floor to the cosmos behind the wall.
A Phenomena Recreation (About Dust #3), dust, light, air, wood, W93cm×H22cm×D20cm
On the other side of the room, a black showcase (About Dust #3) is hung on the wall. To recreate the sensuous moment from the summer, I staged the phenomena with a spotlight. A little fan peri- odically blows dust to the beam. Dancing and shimmering, a quietly flowing storm is formed as the particles travel to the light.
Rain Former (About Dust #4), nuclei in air, humidity, temperature, diameter 20cm
A few steps across the showcase is a spherical glass vessel (About Dust #4). Filled with freezing water, the vessel is covered with condensation. Same as raindrops, the droplets are formed by water vapor condensed on nuclei, which are usually small particles floating in the atmosphere. The ephemeral phenomenon is crucially affected by moisture and temperature, evidencing the forever-changing environment and the invisible dust in air.