Topographic Projection: Green River Utah (AP)

From 1995-99, Sanborn created temporary installations at night by physically projecting simple geometric forms onto massive rock formations.  The projection system powered by a mobile generator was moved from site to site.  The scale of the images required that the projector and camera be on average a ½ mile from the land forms.  At night when moonlight was not sufficient, searchlights and flares were used to model the landscape.  The long exposures resulted in long star trails.  The grid pieces were linked to global longitude and latitude coordinates and mapped the land forms in much the same way the 19th c. cartographers did in the American west. –Artist statement