Crystal Lucida
2017

Crystal Lucida is an interactive installation inspired by the contemporary and controversial Hockney-Falco Theory, which proposes that Old Master painters like Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Ingres, and Vermeer very likely used optical instruments — such as the camera obscura and camera lucida — in the creation of artworks that are renowned for their technical excellence and mathematical precision. This hotly debated theory strikes a chord among some historians who fear that the use of drawing aids somehow diminishes these artists and their work. If these respected artists did use drawing aids, does it undermine the long-lived concept of the “masterpiece”? Does it insinuate that these supposed creative geniuses, in fact, cheated? Does it make their work less authentic? Does it lower our perceived value of their work? Does it possibly even lower their actual value in the marketplace?

Crystal Lucida challenges these polarized notions of value and authenticity. While the pressed or cut glass objects in the installation may resemble finely crafted crystal, they are actually mass-produced and sold in discount stores or secondhand shops for around $2 a piece. In comparison, Waterford drinking glasses retail around $80 each, while a single Baccarat crystal glass can go for upwards of $200.

Finally, Crystal Lucida is in response to the overwhelming success of the NeoLucida, which was funded 2,833% (not a typo!) during its 2013 Kickstarter campaign. Designed by artist Pablo Garcia, the NeoLucida is a modern-day version of the age-old optical device that uses a glass prism to project an image onto paper, from which an artist can trace a realistic likeness. But where the camera lucida assists artists in drawing perfect proportions, Crystal Lucida embraces distortion and abstraction. Crystal Lucida invites viewers to see the value in what would otherwise be considered worthless glass objects, to employ them as contemporary drawing tools, play with shape and shadow, make art, and engage in an art historical discourse in a new and exciting way.