Colors of Lake Tahoe series
On my many visits to Lake Tahoe over the last decade, changes to the area had become unmistakable and I began to see it as a microcosm of our planet. When the snowpack on the surrounding mountains all but disappeared in 2015, I became curious about how this was affecting the color of the Lake and contacted a team of scientists with the Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) at the University of California, Davis.
The color circles in these works are created by data taken by the TERC scientists and represent as faithful a translation from the numerical measurements to printed color as currently possible. The prints serve to visually document the varying colors of Lake Tahoe and are time-stamped with year, month, date, and 24-hour time from the moment the measurement was made.
Each is overlaid with an original graphite sketch featuring Lake Tahoe scenery. Like some of my previous work, these pieces attempt to capture moments in time and to serve as evidence for the existence of places that have already vanished from the present moment, while also documenting landscapes that have existed for millions of years. Inspired by concepts of Buddhism and quantum interconnectedness, I have also incorporate natural and cultural elements, and sometimes, geometrical forms, in the pieces to convey the idea of interconnectedness.
The TERC equipment located at a buoy owned by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory was anchored 500 meters deep in the Lake in California, east of Tahoe City and Homewood (39°06’37”N 120°04’31”W). Between 2012 and 2016, hyperspectral radiometers measured the amount of light leaving the Lake were positioned at 12 and 5 meters below the surface. The scientists extrapolated the surface color from these measurements.
These artworks are made in collaboration with the TERC. No measurement from a particular recording will be printed more than once. The graphite and oil drawings are also original and are overlaid on pigment based archival digital prints on cotton paper (48” x 48”). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these works benefit the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.
Many factors affect the Lake’s color, like its clarity and temperature, and levels of chlorophyll. I invite you to explore the ecological complexities of Lake Tahoe by visiting: terc.ucdavis.edu
–DLS
On my many visits to Lake Tahoe over the last decade, changes to the area had become unmistakable and I began to see it as a microcosm of our planet. When the snowpack on the surrounding mountains all but disappeared in 2015, I became curious about how this was affecting the color of the Lake and contacted a team of scientists with the Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) at the University of California, Davis.
The color circles in these works are created by data taken by the TERC scientists and represent as faithful a translation from the numerical measurements to printed color as currently possible. The prints serve to visually document the varying colors of Lake Tahoe and are time-stamped with year, month, date, and 24-hour time from the moment the measurement was made.
Each is overlaid with an original graphite sketch featuring Lake Tahoe scenery. Like some of my previous work, these pieces attempt to capture moments in time and to serve as evidence for the existence of places that have already vanished from the present moment, while also documenting landscapes that have existed for millions of years. Inspired by concepts of Buddhism and quantum interconnectedness, I have also incorporate natural and cultural elements, and sometimes, geometrical forms, in the pieces to convey the idea of interconnectedness.
The TERC equipment located at a buoy owned by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory was anchored 500 meters deep in the Lake in California, east of Tahoe City and Homewood (39°06’37”N 120°04’31”W). Between 2012 and 2016, hyperspectral radiometers measured the amount of light leaving the Lake were positioned at 12 and 5 meters below the surface. The scientists extrapolated the surface color from these measurements.
These artworks are made in collaboration with the TERC. No measurement from a particular recording will be printed more than once. The graphite and oil drawings are also original and are overlaid on pigment based archival digital prints on cotton paper (48” x 48”). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these works benefit the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.
Many factors affect the Lake’s color, like its clarity and temperature, and levels of chlorophyll. I invite you to explore the ecological complexities of Lake Tahoe by visiting: terc.ucdavis.edu
–DLS
