Nate Larson | Kirlian Photographs (Objects of Significance)
Statement
Kirlian Photography is a process that uses electricity rather than light to make contact images on photographic media. The Russian-born inventor Semyon Kirlian pioneered the process in 1939, which works by illuminating the electrical field around an object and recording the multicolored emanations on photographic film or paper. Many fringe scientific researchers believe these images reveal the “biofield” or “aura” of the subject, which they think gives physical form to the etheric body or “life force” that surrounds each living thing. Some use it to make health care decisions, detect deceptions or seek answers from the great beyond. Curious, I began my own experiments with a hand-built device, seeking insight into the food we choose to ingest into our bodies. In doing so, I hope to gain insight into our methods of sustenance and the influence on contemporary American culture.