BEFORE, AFTER

Before, After is a work by Laura Stayton and Adam Hogan that explores fragility and trace through motion picture film and atmospheric electrical signals. 

This work is comprised of our collection of leader (the space at the beginning and end of a film reel) and damaged frames of torn perfs, splice tape marks, scratches, dust, sprocket damage, and other evidence of decay on 16mm/35mm film from restoration projects compiled over the last two years. Through the restoration process, this damage and witness of time is mostly removed to resurrect, migrate and/or preserve films and artworks, therefore (for the most part) is unknown and unseen.

This erasure, naturally evocative of the cosmos, inspired the creation of a score that directly engages the ionosphere and space by using custom VLF antennas and receivers.