ARTIST WORKING WITH HOLOGRAPHY
Pearl V John
John is an artist and science communicator. She works with holography and lenticular imaging, teaching students and the general public about light and lasers.
Latest project
Exhibited at the International Symposium on Display Holography (ISDH2023) in South Korea.
Black Hole 2022
The analogue reflection shadowgram Black Hole was commissioned by the University of Southampton’s Public Engagement with research unit (PERu) to engage the public with the research of Astrophysicist Dr Diego Altamirano. The hologram was exhibited at the 2022 Southampton Festival of Science & Engineering and at ISDH2023 South Korea.
Black Hole
Date: 2022
Edition: Unique
Materials:
Mixed media reflection shadowgram on film interleaved with digital print.
Size: H 20.32 cm (8”) x W 25.4 cm (10”)
Notes:
Black Hole (detail)
Date: 2022
Edition: Unique
Materials: Film Reflection shadowgram
Size: H 20.32 cm (8”) x W 25.4 cm (10”)
Notes: Commissioned by the University of Southampton’s Public Engagement with Research Unit (PERu) to engage the public at the Southampton Festival of Science and Engineering (SOTSEF) with the astrophysics research of Dr Diego Altamirano.
Black Hole installed at SOTSEF
Hologram Exhibition Brochure
Featured projects
Passing Time Distant Memory
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The digital hologram Passing Time Distant Memory is an autobiographical exploration of a family photograph album in four dimensions spanning 140 years. As the viewer moves laterally in front of the artwork images are revealed; beginning with a wedding photograph taken from the 1850’s and ending with a contemporary animated wedding video. The piece is the culmination of John’s Ph.D. study researching the use of the Z access of holographic space in the representation of time. The hologram was first shown at the City Museum, Aveiro, Portugal in the Art and Holography: Light Space Time exhibition in conjunction with the International Symposium on Display Holography in 2018. The artwork was also exhibited in the Science Gallery London, as part of the Guiding Lights, International Day of Light Celebrations in May 2022.
Passing Time Distant Memory
Date: 2018
Edition: Unique
Materials: Digital animated full colour hologram
Size: H 25.4cm x W 65cm
Notes: Produced with technical support from Dietmar Ohlmann and printed by Geola.
Exhibited at the City Museum, Aveiro, Portugal, in conjunction with the International Symposium on Display Holography July 2018.
Exhibition Opening
Art in Holography: Light, Space & Time. Exhibition at the City Museum, Aveiro Portugal 26 June – 30 September 2018. Opening in conjunction with the International Symposium on Display Holography (ISDH2018) 26 June 2018.
Exhibition Opening
Art in Holography: Light, Space & Time. 26 June 2018. Exhibition opening Artist shown far right in front of artwork: Passing Time Distant Memory.
Exhibition
A Virtual Artist
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A Virtual Artist was an exhibit in the Special Collections Gallery at the University of Southampton from 26 August 2014 – 26 September 2014. The exhibit featured reflection holograms containing text and images that appeared to be embedded in family heirlooms, exploring memories within the depths of objects. The exhibit formed a part of John’s Ph.D. research into storing time within the volume of holographic spaces. Portrait: Great-grandmother was featured at the Magic of Light Exhibition, The Museum of Optics, Birzhevaya Linia 14, ITMO University’s Technopark. St Petersburg May 2016. The holograms were produced by John at the University of Southampton with photographs – unless stated otherwise – by Rob Luckins.
The Necklace: Aunt
Date:2014
Edition: Unique
Materials: Mixed media: Reflection hologram and antique necklace
Size: H 15.2cm x W 12.7cm
Notes: Produced with technical support from Dietmar Ohlmann and printed by Geola.
This artwork pairs an antique ‘Mother-of-Pearl’ piece of jewellery presented on a velvet stand – with an analogue hologram of a photograph of a woman (the artist’s aunt) wearing the same necklace.
Dinner plate: Mother
Date:2014
Edition: Unique
Materials: Mixed media: Reflection hologram and porcelain plate with pattern transfer
Size: H 25 x W 25cm
Notes: The image sunk into the dinner plate depicts a photograph of the Queen with a child (the artist’s mother). The photograph was taken in the 1950’s during the Queen’s visit to a children’s hospital ward where the artist’s mother was a patient. The plate and the cutlery are from the 1970’s. The objects and hologram suggest a family narrative that was retold over decades.
The Camera: Father
Date: 2014
Edition: Unique
Materials: Mixed media: Reflection hologram and 1970’s SLR Camera
Size: H 15cm x W 20cm
Notes: The piece consists of a hologram embedded into the lens of an analogue SLR camera.
Boxer Sketch: Grandmother
Date: 2014
Edition: Unique
Materials: Mixed media: Reflection hologram and artist’s sketchbook
Size: H 20.32cm x W 12.7cm
Notes: The piece consists of a holographic sketch overlaying an open page from an artist’s sketchbook (the artist is Francis John, the artist’s grandmother). The page text adjacent to the hologram, entitled ‘Profound thoughts’ describes the process of drawing and creativity. The sketch depicts a boxing match with the fighter recovering between rounds.
In Time
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‘In Time’ was an exhibit based on scientific data exploring representations of passing time. Eight microlens art works were produced for the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2012 inspired by scientific data taken from scientists and astronomers working with lasers, magnetism, astronomy and particle physics. The artworks illustrate passing time, from very short periods – measured in picoseconds – to deep time measured in ‘aeons’. The exhibit included the artwork ‘Nanoseconds 1’ work inspired by the Higgs Boson – the discovery of which was announced on the day of the opening of the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition where the exhibit was shown. The artworks were commissioned by the South East Physics Network (SEPnet).
The lenticulars were shown again in 2015 during the A Virtual Artist Exhibition at the Hartley Library, University of Southampton, and are now on permanent display in the Physics and Astronomy School at the University.
Pearl John gratefully acknowledges the following for the use of their scientific data: Dr Anthony Bird, Dr Gaby Slavcheva, Dr Elena Kammann, Dr John Nesbitt, Dr Anna Scaife, Dr Sadie Jones, Dr Matteo Franchin, Professor Hans Fangohr and Dr Alexander Belyaev (University of Southampton), and for their technical advice: Professor Martin Richardson, Stuart Wade (De Montfort University) and Jon Mitton (Mitton3D).
Picoseconds 2
Date: 2012
Edition: Unique
Materials: Microlens/lenticular print.
Size: H 30.5cm x W 38.1cm
Notes: Produced with technical support from Stuart Wade and Jon Mitton and scientific data by Dr Gaby Slavcheva.
Picoseconds 2 is temporally incoherent; the image is not symmetrical, but changes depending on whether it is ‘read’ forward or backwards by the movement of the viewer. The complexity of the image slows the viewer down to observe the lines flowing, changing subtly. The image is reminiscent of a musical score.
Picoseconds 3
Date: 2012
Edition: Unique
Materials: Microlens/lenticular print.
Size: H 30.5cm x W 38.1cm
Notes:
Produced with technical support from Stuart Wade and Jon Mitton and data by Dr Elena Kammann.
Installation
The lenticulars were first shown together in an exhibit titled: In Time at the Royal Society Summer Science exhibition which had over 11,000 visitors in the four days that the exhibition ran.
Days
Date: 2012
Edition: Unique
Materials: Microlens/lenticular print
Size: H 30.5cm x W 38.1cm
Notes: Produced with technical support from Stuart Wade and Jon Mitton and data by Professor Tony Bird who also consulted on the content of the image.
Days, an image which appeared figurative, exhibited a different kind of ‘ghosting’; subject motion, a technological issue in which images appear fleetingly and disappear in a couple of frames. The result of this ghosting is the viewer having to make very small side to side movements of only a few degrees in order to capture the objects depicted. The central object contains depth and detail which results in the viewer wanting to slow the image down to observe the detail more closely.
Typhoon
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The Typhoon series was produced as part of a collaborative project with Ya-Ling Huang, Dean of the College of Creative Media, Kun Shan University, Taiwan for the Delight of the Chinese Character Festival in the Pier 2 Art Centre in Kaohsiung, Tainan 03.06 – 04.07.10. The annual art show was based on Chinese characters: their form; history; usage, and pronunciation. Exploring connections between our cities – Tainan and Southampton – it became apparent that we were joined through water and weather. Using the motif of the Typhoon, Huang produced a strong interactive piece of artwork entitled: Charm and Power of the Air and Water (2010) which showed Chinese characters swirling in response to audience movement. I produced two pseudo colour reflection holograms with the technical help of holographer Inaki Beguiristain (displayhologram.co.uk) in response to the collaboration, one – a perfect blue and white (Typhoon 1) which was exhibited in Taiwan (2010), and Belarus (2011), and the second – an achromat (Typhoon 2) – was exhibited in Seoul (2011).
Typhoon 1
Date: 2009
Edition: Unique
Materials: Pseudo colour reflection hologram
Size: H 20.32 cm (8”) x W 25.4 cm (10”)
Notes: Collection of the artist. Photograph by P. John.
Typhoon 2
Date: 2009
Edition: Unique
Materials: Achromatic Pseudo colour reflection hologram
Size: H 20.32 cm (8”) x W 25.4 cm (10”)
Notes: Collection of the artist. Photograph by P. John.
The Charm and the Power of Air and Water at the Delight of the Chinese Festival
Date: 2010
Notes: Interactive installation by Ya-Ling Huang with Typhoon 1
Delight of the Chinese Character Festival - Taiwan
The Good medicine cabinet
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During a 5 year-long stay in Missouri, USA John was inspired by the history of the country and its Native American culture, attending Osage Missouri Pow Wows and taking part in Shaman journeys with a group of Columbian pagan friends. John learned about the concept of good medicine and acknowledging the validity of all feelings and emotions. The multi-media piece The Good Medicine Cabinet explores spiritual aspects of healing. The virtual cabinet holds bottles and jars tablets of feelings and actions including; anger; gratitude; joy; and procrastination. The holographic pulse master and white light transmission transfer were shot at The Center for the Holographic Arts (Holocenter), Long Island, New York, with the assistance of the Center’s Director Ana Marie Nicholson and Sam Moree during John’s residency in 2007. The piece was designed to be able to be shown illuminated from the front with a mirror backing – or lit from behind with mirror removed.
The work was exhibited at multiple shows including: the Holocentre, as part of the residency (2007); in Monkeys with Car Keys, (2008) at Aspace Art, The Bargate Monument Gallery, Southampton, UK, and in the Luminous Windows (2009), and Jeweled Net (2012) exhibitions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Museum, USA. The Good Medicine Cabinet in now held in permanent collection of the Museum. Photographs by John unless stated otherwise.
The Good Medicine Cabinet
Date: 2007
The Good Medicine Cabinet
Date:2007
Edition: Unique
Materials: Mixed media, white light transmission hologram on film in wooden cabinet.
Size: H 50cm x W 40cm x D 15cm.
Notes: The cabinet was made with technical support from Paul Kinsey, University of Southampton.
The Good Medicine Cabinet
Date: 2007
The Good Medicine Cabinet
Date: 2007
Journeys
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John’s first solo exhibition was entitled ‘Journeys’ and held at Gallery 286 in Earls Court, London, 7th-28th February 2007.
The exhibition, inspired by an American Road trip to Mesa Verde National Park in South-west Colorado, explored the theme of Journeys; both physical and spiritual. The exhibit combined holography, digital photography and text – working at the boundaries between words and images, and artist, artwork and viewer.
In the lower-level gallery, three Kiva ladders inlaid with holograms are propped against the walls. The ladders symbolize the journey – or transition – between the outside world and interior self. The holograms inlaid in the ladders contain symbols of different aspects of spiritual and physical journeys.
Kiva ladders were originally used in the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, which was home to Native Americans over 800 years ago. These dwellings were cut into vertical, overhanging canyon walls of a huge plateau. The dwellings included underground rooms – or Kivas – set aside for spiritual practice and accessed by ladders. The Kiva ladders which frame the holograms were purchased d as decorative items made by artisans from the Tarahumara tribe in Chihuahua,Northern Mexico.
On the gallery walls pseudo-colour reflection holograms mounted on digital photographs explore aspects of the artist’s emotional, physical and spiritual journeys in the USA. The holograms include: home, dislocation and racism; maps of external and internal spaces; shaman journeys and childlessness.
Through History explores friendship and racism; award-winning Palestinian writer Ibtisam Barakat, graciously taught the artist about her privilege and the destructive history of the UK’s involvement in Palestine.
In the ground floor gallery, a theme of ‘communication’ is explored using digital photography and laser technology. The photographs document two figures – a husband and wife – being wrapped with a telecommunication’s optical fibre illuminated through an argon laser. This work explores the journey of complex thoughts, feelings and ideas between two people, exchanged at the speed of light.
Through the garden
Title: Through the garden: Kiva Ladder
Date: 2007
Edition: Unique
Materials: Mixed media: wooden ladder embedded with 6 x reflection holograms on film
Size: H 4’ x W 1.5’ x D 3”.
Notes: Private Collection
Kiva Ladder: Spiritual journey details
Date: 2006
Edition: Unique
Materials: Mixed media: wooden ladder embedded with reflection holograms on film
Size: H 4’ x W 1.5’ x D 3”.
Notes: Private Collection
Through Sound
Date: 2006
Edition: Unique
Materials: Mixed media, reflection hologram on film with digital photograph.
Size: H 8” x 10”
Notes: Private Collection
Journeys
Biography
John was educated in Fine art and English Literature at the University of Exeter and received a combined honours BA degree in 1990. She graduated from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Holography in 1992, completed a ‘Training for Artists-in-Schools’ course at the Institute of Education in 1995, received teacher training in vocational education from the University of Missouri in 1998 and completed a doctorate in art and holography in 2019 at De Montfort University in 2019.
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John won the International Shearwater Art Award in Holography in 2003 and undertook two artist in residencies at the Holography Centre in New York from 2002-2004.
Her holograms and installations have been exhibited in Japan, Europe, Taiwan, Russia and throughout the USA. John’s lenticular art works were exhibited at the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition in 2015, and are currently on show at the University of Southampton’s Physics and Astronomy Department.
John’s latest works of art have been produced as part of her PhD research into a four-dimensional family album. Recent exhibitions have included group shows in The Magic of Light in St Petersburg and Moscow 2015-2016 and at the Aveiro City Museum, Portugal and Gallery 286 in London, 2018.
John has taught holography to artists, students studying physics, to school children and the general public. She taught photography and holography to Foundation and University students at Croydon College before training to teach high school students.
She enjoys teaching the science behind her work with lasers and holography to people of all ages, and specialises in teaching secondary school children Photonics, the science of light. John taught holography and helped develop the curriculum on the world’s first dedicated three-year Photonics course aimed at High School students in Columbia, Missouri, USA where she worked from 1998-2002.
John has worked at the University of Southampton since her return to the UK in 2002. Her role in the department of Physics and Astronomy is to promote the research work of the department and to encourage more students, of all backgrounds, to study Physics and Photonics.
She has previously acted as the University of Southampton’s principle investigator on an EU ‘Photonics4All’ Grant acting as consortium member in a project reaching millions of people throughout Europe with Photonics outreach activities. John is currently Principle Investigator on the European PHABLABS 4:0 photonics Outreach program partnering with the Green Lab, London to design and deliver photonics workshops to children and professionals aim to increasing people of all ages’ familiarity with working with lasers in informal education contexts, in community based Fab Labs.
John was Co-Chair on the Art Committee for the International Symposium on Display Holography at the University of Aveiro, in 2018 and is on the organizing committee for the next ISDH2021 at MIT.
John has a holography studio at the University of Southampton where she produces her holographic art work, and is currently a Post-Doctoral researcher at De Montfort University.
Research and Writing
John, P. (2020) ‘The Silent Researcher Critique: A New Method for Obtaining a Critical Response to a Holographic Art Work’ In: (Ed) Pepper, A. Holography: A Critical Debate within Contemporary Visual Culture. London: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. MDPI. pp. 39-47. In Arts (Vol. 8, No. 3, p.117). Available on-line: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/arts/specialissues/holography) and https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/8/3/117. [Accessed 17 August 2020.]
John, P. (2019) Temporal and Spatial Coherence: Chronological narrative in holographic and lenticular space. [Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis], De Montfort University. Available on-line: https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/handle/2086/18127
John, P. and Richardson, M. (2018) Passing Time, a Distant Memory: Storing Images Chronologically in Holographic Space, In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Display Holography, Aveiro, Portugal June 24-29 June 2018. Aveiro: University of Aveiro Publishing.
John, P., Posner, M., Mironiuc, M., Irish, E., Prentice, J. (2018) PHABLABS 4:0: EU Holography workshops in Fab Labs. In: Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Display Holography ISDH2018, University of Aveiro, Portugal 24-29 June 2018.
Posner, M, Van Putten, L., Donko, A., Wong, N., Soper, N., Ravagli, Jantzen, A, and John, P. (2017) Cathedral outreach: student-led workshops for school curriculum enhancement in non-traditional environments Conference Paper January 2017 DOI: 10.1117/12.2266451 Conference: Conference: 14th Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics (ETOP).
Wong, N., Posner, P., Mittal, V., Gray, D. and John, P. (2016) Taking local optics outreach abroad for IYL 2015: administrative and logistical challenges and strategies. In: Proceedings Volume 9946, Optics Education and Outreach IV; 99460F(2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2237442 Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2016, San Diego, California, USA.
Posner, M., John, P. (2016) From school classes to UNESCO: IYL-enabled environments for tackling the STEM skills shortage through student-led outreach. In: Proceedings Volume 9946, Optics Education and Outreach IV; 994607 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2238222Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications,2016, San Diego, California, United States.
Posner,M, John, P., Standen, D, Wheeler, N., Van Putten, L., Soper, N., Parsonage, T., Wong, N., and Brambilla, G. (2016) Reflecting photonics: reaching new audiences through new partnerships – IYL 2015 and the Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show. In: Proceedings Volume 9946, Optics Education and Outreach IV; 994603 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2236977. Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2016, San Diego, California, United States.
Wong, N., Posner, M., John, P. (2015) The Lightwave programme and roadshow: an overview and update. Proceedings Volume 9793, Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2015; 97932V (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2223239. Event: Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2015, 2015, Bordeaux, France.
John, P., Berry, S., and Belal, M. (2012) Teaching holography: five years and 400 Foundation Year students later. In [eds], Jeong, T, et al (2015) Holography-culture, art, and information technology: proceedings of the eighth international symposium on display holography 2009. Beijing : Scientific and Technical Documentation Press.
Cherrett, T., Gates, J., John, P., Holdaway-Salmon, L., Price, J., Wills, G., Dror, I., (2009). “Making laser safety training more cognitively effective: making training videos interactive and adaptive.” Conference Paper · January 2009 Conference: International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC 2009).
John, P. (2006) “Words and images in time and space: An exploration of the use of text in fine-art holography”. In: Proceedings, International Symposium on Display Holography, Shenzen, China. (ISDH2006). Available on-line: file:///C:/Users/pearl/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/IE/H8ZM4A3D/Words_and_images_in_time_and_space_An_exploration_.pdf. [Accessed 17 August 2020].
John, P., Gates, J., Clark, D., Barney, A. (2006). Teaching holography new problems, new courses and new students: a case study in teaching holography as a problem based learning project to engineering and physics foundation year students. ISDH2006 Conference Paper · July 2006 Conference: In: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Display Holography. Shenzen, China.
John, P., Wilcox, K., Patel, S. (2005) “The Light Express Roadshow: a case study in a successful secondary school’s photonics outreach activity,” Proc. SPIE 9664, Ninth International Topical Meeting on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics (ETOP), 96641R (24 October 2005); doi: 10.1117/12.2207708 Event: Ninth International Topical Meeting on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics, 2005, Marseille, France.
John, P., 2004. Teaching holography-inspiring an interest in science. In (Ed) Bazargan, K. On-line magazine. Holographer.org.
John, P. and Poche, E. (2004) “Making Holograms: An Educational CD-ROM.” Pearl John, Elaine Janelle Poche, “Making holograms: an educational CDROM,” Proc. SPIE 5290, Practical Holography XVIII: Materials and Applications, (29 June 2004); doi: 10.1117/12.549296 Event: Electronic Imaging 2004, 2004, San Jose, California, United States.
John, P. and Shanks, R. (2002) “Photonics Classes in High School”, In Proc. International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE)4588, Seventh International Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics, (28 May 2002) pp. 89-102; doi: 10.1117/12.468686; Available on-line: https://doi.org/10.1117/12.468686. [Accessed 17 August 2020].
John, P. (2002) “Advanced holography in high school”, Proc. SPIE 4149, Holography 2000, (3 October 2000). Available on-line: https://doi.org/10.1117/12.402492. [Accessed 17 August 2020].
John, P., Shanks, R., Holtzhauser, R., Woodbury, M. and Canole, K. (2002) Laser Safety in the high school classroom, ICALEO 2002 : 21st International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics : congress proceedings : Laser Materials Processing Conference, Laser Microfabrication Conference : October 14-17, 2002, Arizona, USA. Laser Institute of America. 633243.
Miller, N, John, P. (2000), “Public education and the electro-optical industry: a strategic partnership in creating photonics classes for high school students Proceedings Volume 3831, Sixth International Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.388740Event: Education and Training in Optics and Photonics (ETOP’99), 1999, Cancun, Mexico. John, P. (2000) “Advanced holography in high school”, Proc. SPIE 4149, Holography 2000, (3 October 2000); doi: 10.1117/12.402492; https://doi.org/10.1117/12.402492 Event: Holography 2000, 2000, St. Poelton, Austria.
Educator
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On completion of the course John took up a residency at Whitgift School in Croydon, and worked as a visiting lecturer for Croydon College BA and BTEC Photography courses, where she taught photography and holography part-time until 1998. She also worked as a Community Arts Worker, Holography Consultant and Holography Assistant at THIS and 3D/4D during this time. After giving a presentation on her educational work at the International Symposium on Display Holography in Lake Forest, IL, in 1996 she was invited to interview for a job teaching on an innovative Introduction to Laser Technology course, part of a three-year Photonics Programme for High School Students at a Vocational School in Columbia Missouri. John helped to design the course which had a strong arts element, and taught at the Career Center until 2003 when she returned to the UK. She took up a position coordinating a travelling educational laser show based on Photonics at the University of Southampton and also runs Photonics outreach projects. John occasionally teaches holography independently. She has a small holography studio at the UoS and exhibits her artwork internationally. She completed a part-time Ph.D. in fine art holography in 2018. Further biographical information about John’s educational activities are shown below:
The Light Express Roadshow: 2003 – Present
The Light Express was – and still is – a travelling laser light show which brought photonics to schools and the general public in the south of England. John expanded her job role by teaching holography and optics workshops to school children and the public. John has a small holography studio in the Physics and Astronomy department. A selection of creative photonics activities run both for the University of Southampton, and independently, is described below:
VIEW HERE
The Photon Shop: 2019 & 2020
A pop-up shop during the Light Up Poole! Digital Arts Festival, showcasing University of Southampton Physics and Astronomy research projects. The shop ran in 2019 & 2020 for over 3,070 visitors. John was responsible for the concept and managed the project, liaising with Festival organisers. The shop featured award-winning outreach activities from Light Wave: (hands-on Photonics outreach activities teaching the audience how the internet works); the Electro-Chemical Circus, (making gold fingerprints to learn about batteries and transistors; Aurora Zoo.org; (classifying the aurora) #SotonAstroArt; (Supernova research and Dark Energy activities) and others.
Creative Partnerships Art and Technology: 2009
Identity Project working with Year 8 Sholing Technology College in conjunction with artist Garry Kennard. The project aimed to enable participants to explore the concept of Identity using poetry, music and Art (photographic and holographic workshops). Students were asked to make photograms of images of their fingerprints, collaged together with images of family and friends. Students also produced holograms of objects that were special to them. The end of the project was marked by a School exhibition and performance. Students displayed their holograms by walking along the rows of audience members, illuminating the holograms with torches. The performance also included drama and music.
Laser Instructor. Missouri, USA.: 1998-2003
Columbia Career Centre
Following a presentation on her holographic artwork in schools during at the 1994 International Symposium on Display Holography in Chicago, Illinois she was invited to interview for a job as Laser Instructor at the Columbia Area Career Centre, Missouri, where the world’s first three-year-long Photonics course was being developed to encourage more high school students into a career as laser technicians. The course was sponsored by 3M as a result of a national skills shortage of technicians which impacted the company themselves. John was invited to teach and help to design the curriculum which took a creative approach to get students interested in working with lasers. John taught the first year Introduction to Laser Technology (for 15-16 year-olds) building a curriculum which included: holography – basic and advanced; light sculpture with lasers and holograms; art with polarizing filters; laser light shows; manufacturing with lasers; basic light theory and laser safety. John was trained in basic laser safety by the Laser Institute of America and later became a Laser Safety Consultant for 3M. John worked at the Career Centre for five years, returning to the UK in 2003, where she became the Light Express Coordinator for the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southampton.
Out of the Red Project: 1994
Rochdale Cartwheel Community Arts
John worked as a community arts worker on this project based on debt which included: drama performances; a touring exhibition to the Peoples’ History Museum, and schools’ photography and holography workshops. John produced a series of animated holograms based on money for the exhibitions. In Coins (a 10” x 8” reflection stereogram) piles of coins increase and decrease as the view moves in front of the piece. In Purse, coins are taken out of the purse and put back in as the viewer moves laterally in front of the artwork. In another piece ‘Exchange’ money passes backwards and forwards between two people. The supporting arts and holography workshops had pupils and colleges students making holograms of their valuable objects and telling the story about what value meant to them.
Artist-in-Residence: 1994
Maria Fedelis School for Girls, London.
During the Residency John worked with both art and science teachers. She worked with Year 11 and Year 8 students creating mixed media mandalas, at the centre of which were holographic images. The residency culminated in an exhibition entitled ‘Great Cultures of the East’ at which her Year 8 & 11 students exhibited their mandalas which were maps to their own universe of place and space, including friends, family members and representations of their individuality.
