stellar axis

on the solstice i participated in the first ever conceptual art performance piece to be funded by the NSF.



created by Lita Albequerque, an artist based out of LA, this work maps the constellations locatated above this particular location, nearly at the bottom of the earth.

lita worked with an astronomer and a GPS cordinating system to plot 99 fiberglass cobalt blue balls on the sea ice so that they mirror the brightest 99 stars in the southern hemisphere. lita was interested in visually representing the light emitted from these stars in on the longest and brightest day of the year.



then, i drove IVAN the Terra Bus, out to her sight with 58 people. together, coordinated with helocopter pilots and a cinematographer, we walked to create a moving spiral within these ploted stars.







here at mcmurdo, we commonly refered to lita's project as "the blue balls", which made me one of the blue ball handlers.