CHRIS DIXON

Click on image to see enlarged version

Illumination

The mercury vapour lamp is a lamp in which light is produced by electric discharge through mercury vapour. The two cloisonne vases in the library at Cragside House, Rothbury, Northumberland, home to Lord Armstrong, were mercury vapour lamps.  They eventually became subject and symbol for my Breakthrough challenge.

The blue in the central section represents the use of water to drive the power.  All the other colours signify the heavy local industry owned by Lord Armstrong around 1800, the year the lamps lit Cragside.

I have used my own hand dyed fabric, to which I have added some screen printing, fabric paint and Markal paint stick colour.  The lamps are printed onto Evolon and Lutradur.  A small photo of Cragside is covered with one layer of sheer fabric.


Back