Azimuth/Altitude installation by Ethan Jackson
Azimuth/Altitude is an interactive light projection with sculptural columns in the Scott Gallery.
Two pools of swirling abstract form flow around the bases of reflective columns at opposite ends of the room. From viewpoints opposite each cylinder, the reflected images resolve into the familiar light and landscape of the Rio Grande Gorge.
Viewers are encouraged to wander in the swirling projected imagery on the floor, slowly finding the view in the cylindrical mirrors, which reward curiosity with a perceptual revelation: the abstraction in constant motion resolves into familiar landscapes. The two moving images share an exploration of the unique light, color, land, and sky of Taos, a floating aerial passage above and an exploration of the canyon rim from below.
Ethan Jackson is a visual artist and designer working with light, optics, and images. His projects include immersive optical installations in architecture, still and moving imagery about place and perception, interactive & generative digital works, photography, and video. He studied photography, earning a BA (1992) at Williams College and an MFA (1996) at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has taught photography and related media full-time at Johnson State College (VT) and Reed College.