First attempts at projected masks — images imprinted onto transparencies and projected using an old slide projector. No photos of those installations survive. I was only partly satisfied with the results, which led to the development of the brass etching approach.
Designs are laser-printed and toner-transferred to brass using a lamination machine. The back is coated with lacquer. The toner acts as an etch resist — the exposed brass is dissolved in a PCB tank with a bubbler. The etchant was cupric chloride — HCl-based, with the interesting quality of getting stronger the more it was used as dissolved copper became part of the etchant itself. After etching, the lacquer and toner are removed with acetone. Halftone patterns generated programmatically — varying dot size, line segments, or geometric cuts to create tonal images that project from Source Four theatrical lighting instruments.
I used to work with Larry Thrasher, known for his work with Psychic TV and Thee Majesty. I showed him my gobo work and he was interested. He was going to Paris to do a show with Thee Majesty at the Pompidou and suggested I make gobos for it. One of the designs represents autogenesis — I thought it was a good match for Genesis P-Orridge's pursuit of physical androgyny. When he got back from Paris I asked if they had used them. He said no, they stayed in his hotel drawers. I looked disappointed and he told me basically tough luck. Keep going. He also shaped my view that what one has made in the past does not matter — it is always what you make next that matters.
