Distant Transmissions

Abstract

Shortwave radio and the Space Race technology of the 1950's and 1960's cultivated intensely individual and collective cultural experiences that encouraged us to explore the unknown. My research on shortwave radio and space travel as landmarks of exploration includes photographs, shortwave spy codes, a spacesuit, and a collection of the QSL cards that shortwave operators mail to one another. The process of constructing my own spacesuit is a manifestation of my experiences and a collaborative effort to examine the power of technology with those I've met while traveling. Photography encourages us to dream of exploring unknown lands through its subjective nature. This research is comprised of photography, audio, and sculpture and is presented under the guise of the "American Interterrestrial Society." This fictitious organization archives my research and illustrates the tension between truth and the fabrication of the photograph.