bullet one

This work is a collaboration between artists Andrea Dale and Jeff Frost

Dimensions: 3' x 4' x 11"         

Materials: Mirror-polished stainless steel, plywood, canvas, acrylic paint, time lapse film

bullet one artist statement

As modern day humans, we seem to forget we are a part of nature, not separate from it. This work puts the viewer back into nature, and face to face with the laws that govern it.

Bullet One is comprised of two layers; the interior contains time lapse video footage of California wildfires visible through three bullet holes that pierce the exterior mirror-polished stainless steel panel. This collaboration between artists Andrea Dale and Jeff Frost was a result of their time spent collecting artifacts from burn scars for Jeff’s multimedia project, California on Fire after the 2016 California Wildfire season. The project was presented in an art show for fire survivors as seen in the Netflix documentary series, Fire Chasers.

Jeff’s time lapses of smoke, stars, and wildfires are viewed by the act of peering inside of the piece, while the viewer’s distorted reflection in the mirror-polished stainless steel is still simultaneously within their sight. Andrea’s decision to use a gun as an art tool stems from her desire to break through the false illusion of perfection, the idea that we are separate from nature and the myopic sense of a disconnected self that permeates our culture.

Large white canvas-covered panels are used to create a neutral state within the viewer, while mirror-polished stainless steel places selfie culture within the artwork rather than allowing one to remain outside the piece as a passive viewer. Hard edged, narrow vertical panels mimic the rigid [tribal] taxonomies that confine us. Distinct lines and negative space represent the separation and gaps between political ideologies and religious beliefs that either support or deny the existence of human driven climate change. By breaking the lull of false security and separation from nature, we replace it with a state of urgency.