Lichtenberg figures are branching, fractal-like patterns that are created by high voltage discharges passing along the surface, or inside of an electrical insulator.
Our Lichtenberg figures are created by "charging-up" a piece of acrylic using a particle accelerator; when discharged, the electrons burn their way through the insulator, leaving a unique pattern within. When lit using LEDs, they are quite spectacular.
These High Tech pieces of art are made exclusively by High Tech Art and our associates.
Calumet, Michigan. May 1-July 31, 2013. High Tech Art is moving to the village of Calumet, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The move is taking place so that our employees can live in one of the most beautiful lands in the country, surrounded by rocks, hills, trees, and water. The target date for the move to end is July 1. We will reopen for business on August 1. See Colleen's blog entry for June 17, 2013, for more details.
Once the move is complete, products will once again be available to order.
On the Drawing Board:
We will also be able to begin designing and building new products. Here is a list of the products on our horizon.
Wood LED light bases and frames. I will hire local or Midwest artisans to manufacture high-quality, LED-lit wood bases and frames.
Lighted battery-powered mini-frames to hold 3"D Lichtenberg ornaments, so that they can be hung anywhere.
Lighted A/C mini-frames to hold 3"D Lichtenberg ornaments, so that they can be hung on an existing LED light string.
ROUND Lichtenberg figures, which will require custom-made round light bases and frames to display the Lichtenbergs. These will be manufactured in the United States, probably in the Midwest.
Spoiler alert! Moving away from Lichtenbergs entirely, in the future, we will offer a variety of iris windows. The irises would be similar to a camera iris in design, and are intended to provide a very different alternative to window curtains. They'll be made to fit square windows, and be composed of either stainless steel, brass, or polymer.
David Lee Pancake with Colleen Kobe in the Capricon 33 Dealer's Room
We had the great good fortune for our Capricon 33 Dealer's table to be set beside the amazing 3D artist David Lee Pancake. He sculpted an 8" little guy during the con. What a pleasure it was to watch his skillful rendering in real time!
See David's work at his website: http://www.davidleepancake.com/
Follow David on: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube
Sculpture by David Lee Pancake. Image credit and copyright: David Lee Pancake
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Lichtenberg artists Bert Hickman, Todd Johnson, and I (Colleen Kobe) are very proud to be displaying our Lichtenberg figures in both the Chicon 7 Dealer Room, and the Art Show!
Chicon 7 is the 70th World Science Fiction Convention. It takes place August 30-September 3, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, Illinois. This convention changes location every year, and we are fortunate to have it so close to us geographically in 2012.
We will be selling our work at the High Tech Art dealer room table. Everything from patterned-all-over spheres, blocks, and cubes to masked works of angels, stars, and dandelions will be available to purchase. NEW at Chicon will be my "ornament" line of Lichtenbergs: 3" diameter disks containing images of winter holidays such as snowflakes and four-pointed stars, as well as anytime images like hearts and peace signs. Or you may choose an all-over ornament triggered from the face center, or from an edge. I will also offer several styles of light bases to showcase your ornament.
In the art show, I will be displaying two-color works. A two-color work features two sheets of acrylic, lit in different colors. The subjects include a dragon, rocket ship, and planet Saturn. Todd Johnson will also be displaying his work in the Chicon Art show.
Chicon will be the DEBUT EVENT for many of these pieces: they have never been on display to the public before. Please be sure to stop by!
This video shows the triggering of a 12 inch square Lichtenberg.
Acrylic is run through a 5 Million Electron Volt beam, and come out crackling with energy. You "trigger" it by poking an edge with a sharp object, the dielectric fails, and all the electrons in the acrylic find their way to ground (and if you're not careful the path of least resistance to ground is thru YOU!)
