Standard Candle
Cotton yarn
45 x 49 inches
2021
Standard Candle
Silk yarn
65 x 52 inches
2021
Standard Candle
Silk yarn
54 x 49 inches
2023
The three works are handwoven from graph data of brightness and dimness of cepheid variable stars used by female "computers" to generate units of measurement to map outer space. The graph data was translated into a weave draft and used on a computerized dobby loom, taking over 100 hours to weave. The stars are a type of “standard candle,” or a celestial body whose light can be used to determine their distance from Earth, now providing a new resolution in labor and computing.
photo © Museum Associates/LACMA
photo credit: Ian Byers-Gamber
https://hyperallergic.com/825609/10-art-shows-to-see-in-los-angeles-june-2023/
https://www.lacma.org/lab/project/sarah-rosalena-standard-candle