Secondary Refuse

Secondary Refuse is a series of images of radioactive residue from the first manmade nuclear reaction in 1942. In collaboration with Everett Lawson, I designed and built cameras that could “see” the residual gamma radiation seeping through the ground. We spent months experimenting with different types of rare earth strontium aluminate and searching for our subjects with Geiger counters. The cameras were bolted to the ground and images were created through 8 to 14 hours of exposure. In a way these images reveal the reaction itself, creating a visible representation of this watershed moment in history through the invisible traces it has left behind.