blueshift: Ian Etter & Usha Farey Lingappa

March 2016On view March 4th – 27th, 2016Opening Reception First Friday, March 4th, 6pm – 10pm

blueshift (n.)A decrease in the wavelength of radiation emitted by an approaching celestial body as a consequence of the Doppler effect.

Usha and Ian will be lecturing about the discovery of microbial life on a nearby comet that blends the language of early modern and contemporary science through the use of drawing, collage, prints, and written documentation. The collaborators will explain the science that led to the discovery, characteristics of the comet, life found aboard the comet and the political and cultural ramifications of this discovery.ABOUT THE ARTISTSEtter and Lingappa met during a two-week rotation aboard the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). MDRS is an analog space station located in the Utah desert where scientists perform research and field work in a simulated Martian environment.Ian Etter was born on Elmendorf AFB, Alaska in 1979. Etter’s drawing based practice is typically informed by scientific and field research, and encompasses a wide range of mediums. Etter has shown in group and solo shows nationally. He received his MFA at the University of Iowa in Drawing and Intermedia, where he taught as an Assistant Professor. Etter lives and works in Queens, NY.Usha Farey Lingappa is originally from San Francisco, but currently lives in the Los Angeles area where she is working towards her PhD at the California Institute of Technology. Before grad school, Lingappa built a strong scientific background by working in astrobiology at NASA and SETI, biochemistry at Prosetta Biosciences, and astrophysics at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. She also conducted environmental microbiology research at Hampshire College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in astrobiology.