PAUL ETIENNE LINCOLN

Hyperbaric-Hypobaric

(2006 - 2008)

 

Hyperbaric–Hypobaric was conceived to investigate a poetic metaphor, an examination of the way memory is altered by extremes of atmospheric pressure. Two states occur: in a hypobaric (low pressure) state euphoria occurs prior to unconsciousness; in a hyperbaric (high pressure) state the emotional quality is harder to determine, but evidence suggests anxiety.

 

The atmospheric suit is the key to existing between these two states; it is a prophylactic, a contemporary knight’s armor. The suit in the installation is a composite construction, combining designs from the early 20th century, which collectively achieved joints unaffected by extreme pressure: a suit that can descend a thousand feet into the ocean, but also beyond the stratosphere.

 

A film, Undine’s Curse, unites the opposite and complementary aspects of this project.