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Static Electricity Is The Mysterious Architect Behind Brea Souders’ Beautiful Abstracts

Turning the most annoying byproduct of balloons into fantastical art.

#19 from the Film Electric series, 2013/14.

While most of us have only used static electricity to make our hair stand on end using yesterday’s birthday party balloons, in the right hands it can create sophisticated and unexpected pieces of artwork.

#4 from the Film Electric series, 2012.

For her Film Electric series, photographer Brea Souders uses static force as the only adhesive for a group of visually arresting compositions. Repurposing her unusable negatives as the material for delicate arrangements, this chance-based art sometimes lasts only long enough for the artist to capture the results with her camera.

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#31 from the Film Electric series, 2013/14.

#37 from the Film Electric series, 2013/14.

Souders snips up her collection of unwanted frames and drops them down at random onto statically-charged sheets of acetate. Their placement and orientation is determined entirely by the way they fall--some components will even be removed by the force of gravity as she hangs them on the wall to photograph them. What remains are bold splashes of color, interspersed with recognizable images--a group of goldfish, a tuft of grass, an ear.

9 from the Film Electric series, 2013/14.

The whole project was actually created completely by chance- while in the process of destroying some negatives from her previous shoots, Souders noticed some of the cut-up shards were clinging to a film sleeve by the force of static electricity, and the series was born.

#2 from the Film Electric series, 2012.

#25 from the Film Electric series, 2013/14.

We’re really glad Souders decided to clean her archives one day, as we get to experience these beautifully composed and balanced works as a result. If only we could all get so inspired by our spring cleaning. More of Brea Souder’s work can be viewed at her website.