Glass Abstract 693

The glass cubes in this image, as well as the tile in the background are composed of dichroic glass which is manufactured by stacking layers of glass... more

by Sarah Loft

Title

Glass Abstract 693

Artist

Sarah Loft

Medium

Photograph

Description

The glass cubes in this image, as well as the tile in the background are composed of dichroic glass which is manufactured by stacking layers of glass and thin layers of oxides or metals. This gives the glass a shifting array of colors depending on the angle of view, or, in the case of photography, depending on the angle of the camera. Also entering into the composition are the distorted reflections of shapes and colors in the environment.

Per NASA Spinoff (https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2012/cg_2.html): NASA revitalized the production of dichroic glass in the 1950s and 1960s as a means of protecting its astronauts. Ordinary clear substances cannot protect human vision from the harsh rays of unfiltered sunlight, and everything from the human body to spacecraft sensors and computers are at risk if left unprotected from the radiation that permeates space. The microscopic amounts of metal present in dichroic glass make it an effective barrier against such harmful radiation.

While the ancient manufacturing technique called for adding metals to glass melt, NASA developed a process in which metals are vaporized by electron beams in a vacuum chamber and then applied directly to surfaces in an ultra-thin film. The vapor condenses in the form of crystal structures, and the process is repeated for up to several dozen coatings. The resulting material, still only about 30 millionths of an inch thick, is sufficient to reflect radiation even while the glass—or polycarbonate, as in the case of space suit helmets—remains transparent to the human eye.

Per Wikipedia: Abstract photography, sometimes called non-objective, experimental, conceptual or concrete photography, is a means of depicting a visual image that does not have an immediate association with the object world and that has been created through the use of photographic equipment, processes or materials. An abstract photograph may isolate a fragment of a natural scene in order to remove its inherent context from the viewer, it may be purposely staged to create a seemingly unreal appearance from real objects, or it may involve the use of color, light, shadow, texture, shape and/or form to convey a feeling, sensation or impression. The image may be produced using traditional photographic equipment like a camera, darkroom or computer, or it may be created without using a camera by directly manipulating film, paper or other photographic media, including digital presentations.

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Uploaded

July 16th, 2012