Oh, and There Was Art Too!
As Viaje al Universo wrapped up, Gemini South’s Artist in Residency Colleen
McLaughlin Barlow arrived from Vancouver
(British Columbia, Canada) to share her creativity. For the entire month of November
(and a few days of October and December)
Colleen immersed herself with Gemini’s staff
to gain inspiration for her photos, paintings,
and Japanese prints with graphite, india ink,
and pastels; it was a magical marriage of art
and science.
This was Colleen’s second observatory Artist
in Residency experience, as she previously
held that distinction at the Canada-FranceHawaii Telescope; the Canadian government
funded her time at Gemini South. Colleen’s
interactions left a positive impression with
staff who participated in activities like cyanotype printing, where one lays various objects
on paper saturated in photosensitive chemicals before exposing it to direct sunlight.
Colleen also shared with the staff the techniques of sumi-e — a Zen-like ink-wash
painting method — and Sho-do calligraphy.
Mistakes do not exist, but rather become part
of the art. Of the experience, Gemini’s Constanza Araujo said, “In a blink of an eye I was
refreshed in some special way, I felt inspired
and re-energized for the rest of the workday.”
Peter Michaud leads Gemini’s Public Information and Outreach Office and can be reached at:
[email protected]
Antonieta García is Gemini South’s Outreach and
Media Specialist. She can be reached at:
[email protected]
Gemini South
laser spotter Jorge
Muñoz tries his
hand at copying the
Japanese technique
cal