Bring me my cloak of invisibility 2023

Then and Now: 100 Years of Visual Arts Scotland 2023 Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

57 cm H, 49cm W, 3.5 D

Pencil on paper

Calcite is a very common mineral found all over the world, often in proximity to Limestone so, seashells. In their transparent form, as “Iceland Spar”, Calcite crystals demonstrate considerable refractive properties. The Icelandic Sagas reference a “sunstone” used by the Vikings for navigation on cloudy days. More recently it has been utilised in the development of military grade optics, bombsights and anti-aircraft guns. The appearance of Calcite, its silken folds, is initially seductive. On realisation of its primary human use, the mood shifts to one of menace. In 2011 researchers at Birmingham University, Imperial College London and the Technical University of Denmark developed a cloaking system using Calcite prisms and gold to bend light. In their experiments it was possible to disguise the presence of a paperclip.