Aspect 281

Aspect 281, Carolyn Healy and John JH Phillips’ latest installation, is a multimedia work inspired by the importance of railroading in Philadelphia’s development and the signaling technology that made it possible. There are many parts to this immersive installation: three 9-foot-high sculptures derived from steam train smokestacks puffing steam on occasion; truss arches reflecting the many passages of trains over the streets of Philadelphia; quarter-scale train tracks; two large video projections combining historic train footage with visualizations of signals; a quadraphonic sound composition composed primarily of railroad sounds; a 3-story-tall wall graphic; authentic railroad signs, signals, and lanterns. All of these comprise a free and open place to be intrigued by the history of transportation, and to wonder about parallels between the methods that have evolved to control the complex web of tracks we take for granted everyday and the systems controlling other information that flows around us.

Location Note: Temporary work no longer on view at this location.