Marcel Duchamp divided art into the "retinal" and the "conceptual" - the former designed to be perceived by the eye, the latter to be grasped by the mind. Recent work in the psychology of perception shows that visual perception is largely constructed by inference and imagination, rather than as a literal translation of direct sensory input.

In the near UV range the atmosphere is still moderately transparent, so various species have developed patterns and markings, such as stripes on flowers that we can't see. These patterns that are invisible to the human eye can be captured through the use of a special UV camera, or a camera fitted with a UV transmitting filter. Natural phenomena is transformed into the unfamiliar through the UV lens. As Proust once wrote, "The real voyage in discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Through the compilation of images and sounds from nature in film, viewers will temporarily observe the world with a new set of eyes and ears, lent by the naturally-unattainable UV-filtered perspective. Part of this work will consist of a soundscape of sounds beyond the range of human hearing, immersing the individual in an unfamiliar realm of vision and sound. For example, the New York Hermit Thrush sings so high and fast that its melody is inaudible unless slowed down by three octaves.

Courtesy of Tony Phillips