By Rebecca Pikus
I have always been fascinated by Holograms — as I’m sure many people are — they combine art & physics with brilliant precision! So what exactly is a Hologram? Here’s the artist expert’s explanation: “Holography is an optical photographic phenomenon that occurs when coherent laser light waves interfere with laser light reflecting off of a 3-dimensional subject. The light wave interference is captured in a light-sensitive emulsion that reconstructs the laser light wave fronts using a white light source.”
For more than 30 years August Muth has been an internationally exhibiting artist. His interest in light started at the age of 16 when he began making large water-filled glass prisms, which he used to refract prismatic light upon his family’s garage door. In 1973, he left Albuquerque, New Mexico to work as a jewelry maker in Aspen, Colorado, where he became captivated by the light of opals and diamonds. Upon returning to Albuquerque the following year, he began his studies in art and physics at the University of New Mexico, and later continued at the University of Houston, and the University of Texas at Austin.
In 1980 Muth began his holographic exploration in New York City at The Museum of Holography in Soho under Fred Unterseher. He then moved on to the Telluride, Colorado area in 1985 and built his first holographic studio. He spent the next 7 years honing his skills in the Denisyuk single-beam holography technique. During this time his interest in the relationship between light, space, and time intensified, requiring a studio expansion. In 1994 his studio was reimagined and constructed in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
In Santa Fe the desire to produce larger holograms became a priority, and for the next several years Muth spent thousands of hours developing techniques in this quest. Trial and failure became a large part of his practice since large-scale single-beam holograms had never been produced by anyone previously. After a pivotal insight which resulted in the discarding and total metamorphosis of previously learned processes, he was able to create holograms in a greater scale. Muth continues to produce works exploring the light-space-time continuum in his studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“Light, as we perceive it, gives us only a brief glimpse of the momentary realities in which we exist. I strive to record with precision the perceptible light-space-time phenomena. As these three elements intertwine, a three-dimensional topography of pure light is formed, revealing a window into the elusive realms of the light-space-time paradox. Luminous veils of light invite the viewer into a multi-dimensional journey…. This …may expand our perceptions, increase our acceptance of the unknown, and facilitate the evolution of our culture toward systems that are more holistically integrated.”
August Muth: “Visually Speaking – Color & Light”, REBECCA FINE ART GALLERY, 68895 Perez Rd., #7, Cathedral City, Ca 92234 – (760) 534-5888 – Online Gallery: Fineartvortex.com – Exhibit runs from March 26 – Memorial Day, May 30, 2016 – Gallery open Wed.-Sat., 11am-4pm, or By Appointment.
