I illuminated the ghostly form created by the rope spinning through the air. To my surprise and fascination, an electrically driven version of this produced not just a simple envelope but a great variety of harmonic and sometimes chaotic patterns. I had discovered a frontier of science and art, exploring a physical phenomena for artistic ends. Starting with desk top sized works, I have extended the range and complexity of the pieces, building installations with multiple ropes and computer controlled lighting systems up to 6 metres high. Integral to this work has been the use of chromastrobic light.
Chromastrobic light changes color faster than the eye can see.
In the case of a rotating or wave like object, this multi-colored after image reveals extra detail related to the phase of the wave. The rope set spinning in this installation would be invisible in the near darkness of the Great Hall if it were not for the fact that it will be illuminated by a pair of intensely powerful arc lamps bounced off a mylar mirror stretched across one of the Great Hall 'hoops' . Visitors will be able to control the speed of the rope and the color of the light. They can select an individual color or set the color wheels spinning to provide chromastrobic illumination. There are no time constraints, changes occur whenever someone interacts with it.