Bathing in Ether, 2019
Wall hung reflection hologram in dichromate gelatin hand-coated glass
with photo-luminesint pigments
22 ¼” x 18 ½” Optical depth 16”
Unquie
The compelling force that continues to inspire my work is to understand the sublime order of elemental light. For the past 33 years I have utilized the techniques of holography to archive light’s passage, shape its structure, and define it’s presence. At its foundation, my work in holography is the materialization of the natural phenomenon of wave interference. At the same moment it is the antithesis, the dematerialization of matter into light. These juxtaposing realities often produce a paradox within our perception of reality. This paradox of truth and illusion has resulted in a fertile pattern of personal evolution and understanding. I have come to see that the hologram is not an illusion but photonic truth, and that human perceptions quite often are the illusions. At its essence, combining this phenomenon of holography with artistic expression has become a fruitful, high-level integration of the arts, science, and philosophy.
The “Geometric” suite of artworks consists of single, unique, one of a kind, wall hung DCG reflection holographic artworks. These works will be constructed with three layers of holographic emulsions and one layer of either black or white backing glass. Their finished shape varies, as this shape is integral to the composition of each individual piece. The general shape is in the family of a parallelogram and each piece is hung at a slight tilt, off of the horizontal and vertical axis. The pieces are in essence a collage of three different holographic recordings/emulsions laminated together. The holographic images will be of various geometric shapes and color and will pass through each other and intertwine in a multi-dimensional manner. Thin wedge shapes or slender triangular forms of the emulsion are removed from some layers of the finished artworks. These shapes of removed emulsion create a two-dimensional solidity for the holographic imagery to contrast with. Additive color mixing occurs in these works as the images of the subject matter pass over each other. The interactive multi-dimensional quality of these pieces is very intriguing and mysterious to the viewer.
August Muth, Bathing in Ether
The work of August Muth exemplifies the experience that light is the faithful archivist of time. In his collaborations with light he is able to archive patterns of photons and electromagnetic waves that manifest into enduring forms of material light. His holograms depict simple geometric forms that exist within unconfined free space. The polychromatic character these forms possess blend and shifting colors interact spatially with the viewer. He regards his work as an exploration into the analogue realm of the photon, where we have the opportunity to discover the mystery of light itself.
August Muth exhibits internationally and is a pioneer in the exploration of light through the art of holography. His interest in light began at the age of 16 when he began making large water-filled glass prisms to refract light and explore prismatic color. In his late teens, as a jewelry maker in Aspen, Colorado, he became captivated by the alluring light of opals and diamonds. These interests laid the foundation for the beginning of his formal studies in art and physics at the University of New Mexico in 1975, and later at the University of Houston, and the University of Texas, Austin. He continued his formal studies specifically in holography at the Museum of Holography in New York City (1981–4). His studio, The Light Foundry, which was established in 1987 and is currently in Santa Fe, New Mexico, produces artworks exploring the light-space-time continuum.