Reflective Heat Shielding
A couple of years ago, someone who worked on the telescope’s optical systems reached out to me. He had a leftover piece of Kapton foil — a highly reflective film used in the aerospace field — and wanted me to have it. I was thrilled to have this remnant, knowing that the other part of it is, at this writing, in an orbit one million miles away, 16 degrees above the southern horizon. To me it’s a treasure that reminds me of my connection to JWST, and to preserve that idea, I photographed it in a variety of folded configurations that created a new set of abstract shapes.This drawing is based on a photo of the Webb telescope in a cryogenic pressure chamber. One of the many things NASA tested before launch was how the light from simulated stars was imaged, collected and transmitted. The lights are drawn in a way that intensifies their appearance and makes them feel more celestial, while also keeping the photographic qualities of the primary mirror and the reflections of the ceiling, juxtaposing the mundane and exquisite.
