Heliogram Series

Sunlight and Silver Gelatin on Archival Paper

height: 48”
width: 32”

2014

Created in the High Desert of Joshua Tree, California, the Heliogram Series is informed by the writings of the 16^th century mystic, Jakob Böhme who believed the structure of the universe was revealed to him in a beam of reflected sunlight. In order to collect the desert’s intense light, Melman converted a 500sq/ft container into a giant pinhole camera. At daybreak, when the angle of the sun’s rays were the most concentrated through the camera's aperture, Melman performed a sequence of ritualistic actions, captured as a series of unique, 7-minute exposures.