The Diamond Maker; or, the Alchemist's daughter
Installation, INdia ink on glass, paper, wood, 2007
The Diamond Maker; or, the Alchemist’s Daughter is a series of hand-painted glass slides inspired by a Victorian “picture-play” or “magic lantern show” of the same name. Shows fell into four main categories: spectacles and stories; moralistic shows given by churches and charities; news and sights of the world and educational shows.
The original Victorian script and storyline has been lost; however, I have re-written it so that it is a tale that explores the junction between science and spectacle using a visual style reminiscent of magic lantern shows. A fairy-tale of sorts that reveals the Victorian conflict between the rational and the spiritual, The Diamond Maker demonstrates that era’s mounting anxiety about progress, an issue that is pertinent to contemporary culture.
The original Victorian script and storyline has been lost; however, I have re-written it so that it is a tale that explores the junction between science and spectacle using a visual style reminiscent of magic lantern shows. A fairy-tale of sorts that reveals the Victorian conflict between the rational and the spiritual, The Diamond Maker demonstrates that era’s mounting anxiety about progress, an issue that is pertinent to contemporary culture.
