Journey home through the constellations Life can be seen as a constant motion adhering to a great universal symphony whose secrets lie within the geometry of the heavens. To re-create and embody the rhythmic movement of the celestial planes was seen as a way of attuning us to the powers of the cosmos, and allows us to become closer to the source of life. Studying the movement of the night sky and the geometry of the precession of the equinox, I have used true geometric proportions to create my own interpretations of the astronomical systems in the form of giant grids. During the performance I personally traces the rhythmic motion of celestial bodies as they progress towards alignment, on the way uncovering an underlying matrix of geometric grids that both inform and connect each part to the whole. Personalising these movements is meant to imply our personal responsibility in the evolution of the cosmos as well as represent a journey towards some kind of self-realisation. Produced by Jim Bumgardner, the sound is composed using the data from the space satellite ‘Hipparacos’ launched in 1989, which accurately measured over 100,000 stars. Reading of position, parallax, magnitude and color information, the stars are set in motion around the North Star rotating at a speed of one cycle every 24 hours. As each star crosses through zero on the celestial equator an individual note is sounded. The pitch and tone is based on the stars BV measurement (color and temperature) and the volume is based on the star’s apparent brightness.

Studying the movement of the night sky and the geometry of the precessional alignment, for Star Dust Etchings, I have used true geometric proportions to create my own interpretations of the three astronomical planes. These diagrams have been acid engraved onto large steel plates, and then etched as layers onto cotton rag in progression. The pigment used for these etchings was created from shells that I collected from a beach in Brazil called Praia Brava on the 11th November 2011. I ground the shells into powder, or ‘Star Dust’ as named by the Kogi tribe of Sierra Nevada, Columbia, whom I have been in close contact with and from whom the inspiration for this material was taken. The Kogi, keeping their ancestors way of life intact, lived in concealment from the western world up until a few years ago. As part of their spiritual practice the Mama’s (elders of the tribe) collect seashells, which are ground into a powder and eaten, a ritual that is believed to allow them to commune with ‘Aluna’, the celestial realms.