1054 NUCLEAR TESTS (2024)

“Collage” is an art form where pieces of found photographs, magazines, clippings, or other media are glued together into a singular work. While it is possible to trace its origin to the advent of paper, collage became its own medium during early 1900s when Surrealist artists explored how cutting and joining different photographs or other printed materials led to dreamlike images that tapped into the subconscious of both the artist and viewer. Now with the ability to select, cut, and paste any digital media, collage has very much become synonymous to free association, yet it can be a powerful tool to communicate what is in one’s imagination when directed towards a specific content area or theme. Made from images cut from Michael Light’s 2003 book 100 SUNS, this collage brings together archived photographs taken by the 1352nd Photographic Group of the U.S. Air Force into a tryptic featuring soldiers and other personnel who witnessed early atomic bomb experiments firsthand (and often without adequate protection from radiation). 1054 above ground nuclear tests were done between 1945 and 1962, and many speculate the real reason for such a larger number was that these test also attracted the first visits from non-human entities. There are numerous testimonies from those in the armed services who took actual footage, but the government refuses to respond these specific inquiries. This collage is shipped matted and ready to be framed. 

Materials: Assembled book images 
Matted Dimensions: 25” x 25” 
Approximate Total Weight: 1.75 lbs.