Design by Fire

"This graphic exploration of time and spatial representation is an experiment with ways that a timeline could use dimensionality to illustrate the passage of time. For this time-based installation, I made a grid of matches plotted along significant dates in the invention of matches and wove a firecracker fuse throughout the grid. As the fuse was lit, the matches that corresponded to specific dates were ignited chronologically. Where there was a longer gap in the timeline, more fuse was used, thus making the burn time longer. My overall idea was to use the physical matches to create the timeline instead of relying on a photograph or an illustration. As the timeline ignited, I captured the matches/fuse path on video. The camera was meant to twist and turn perspectives as it unfolded the history. This image is a photograph of the aftermath from the ignition."