|
Curatorial Press
"Escondido Artists Illuminated by
Energy's Possibilities"
by Bill Fark
North County Times, February 28, 2002.
|
|
North County
Times; February
28, 2002.
Light figures
prominently in visual art. Escondidans Debby and Larry Kline
create art by using light. Their "The Electric Fields of California"
project, which will eventually stretch north through the state from
Mexico to Sacramento, is a series of outdoor light sculptures using
ambient electric fields beneath power lines.
The husband and
wife team, at home briefly after installing the second sculpture in the
series, talked about their commitment to conceptual art. " I did
a few pieces of conceptual art in school," Larry said, "but at that
time, my interest in art was going in other directions." We
actually started again two years ago during the Presidential election,"
Debby said. " We decided to sell our votes on ebay.
Absentee ballots. We made a brochure with the Proposal and posted
it online and were almost immediately shut down. So then we
decided to put the project up for sale on-line, and we actually sold
some brochures on Inauguration Day."
The idea for the
present project, Larry said, came while talking to a friend. "He
said that the magnetic field underneath power lines was so strong that
it creates a secondary electrical field. 'If you hold up a bulb,
it will light in your hand.' Debby and I looked at each other,
and the idea was born. We did a prototype overnight," Larry
said. The Klines created their first light sculpture in
Indiana near their hometown of Indianapolis. It was so
successful that they applied for a grant from the Gunk Foundation of
New York to create "The Electric Fields of California." The
foundation supports artists who are working in nontraditional media and
art going out to the public.
The installations
are created by installing rows of fluorescent bulbs in the ground
beneath power lines. The electrical field is strong enough to
charge the gases in the tubes without the need for direct electrical
connections. The bulbs burn brightest at ground level and
dissipate near the top, creating an eerie, undulating light.
"Each sculpture is site-specific," Larry explained, "with a
unique aesthetic created by the local topography and installation
techniques. 'Cathedral Gate,' near Kettleman City - about halfway
between Los Angeles and San Francisco - has 30 bulbs. The one we
just finished in Ontario has 60."
The installations
are located on private property. "So far, permission has been fairly
easy," Debby said. "We are working on one near Jacumba, close to
the border with Mexico. And we have volunteers, artists from
Mexico who are interested in our project. We like to locate them
close to a highway and near a population center for maximum
exposure. We've noticed cars slowing down for a better
look. In a way, we're bringing a new perspective to the Western
landscape." The project is innovative in content, form and
process. As an artwork, it breaks with tradition in scope and the
use of physical phenomena in a way that will reach a large,
nontraditional art audience. "We feel that the project also has
the potential to affect public opinion and policy," Debby said.
"It points out potential health concerns with regard to the current
method of electrical transmission technology, which carries with it
certain environmental effects."
Following the
installation in Jacumba, the Klines have others scheduled for Tubb's
Island, near San Francisco, and on Tejon Ranch. "We hope to have
from five to ten that will stay in place for six months," Larry
said. "There are sites all over, power lines all over
Califomia. Many of the locations are ideal, with very
little light pollution. We'd also like to install one on Indian land,"
Debby said. The Klines have documented their project for
the Los Angeles Center for Land Use and are producing a video with
Vladimir Fleurov.
The Klines came to
Escondido seven years ago from Chicago, where Larry had a studio and
Debby was on the staff of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
They have been active in local arts: Larry participated in the COVA
Open Studio Tour last year, and Debby was an employee of the Museum,
California Center for the Arts, Escondido.
- Bill Fark
|
|
|
|
|
