I love spectral light, color and pigment for their purity, simplicity and vibrance. I love astrology because of how it marries heaven and earth by weaving a personal narrative with astronomy, archetype and myth. The Astrochromatic Project is about integrating these two systems by creating 360 small monochrome paintings, each one representing one nanometer, and one degree of the zodiac.

Light is measured in nanometers (nm) and the visible spectrum of light is 360nm. Color derives from the spectrum of light, and pigments selectively absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. Light hitting the surface of a painting is reflected back minus different wavelengths which produces the appearance of different colors. Playing with slight variations is an exploration of how the spectrum creates a very subtle dance in the eye as the varying wavelengths interact with the rods and cones.

The zodiac is 360 degrees, starting at 0 degrees of Aries and ending at 29 degrees of Pisces. The exact time of your birth relates to a specific degree of the zodiac, and each degree has archetypal significance. The birth chart is a map of the psyche, and can tell us much about ourselves and how we mover through the world.

This project doesn’t necessarily relate to archetypes—it’s more about transcending our personal myths and revealing a more essential descriptor of our true natures. The location of the sun on your birthday represents your highest self, so to relate it to a color is to connect us to the essence of our highest selves, as each color literally has a physical vibration that occurs in the eye.

Using a digital image of the spectrum, samples are taken along minute slices of the band and using the default color space in Photoshop to create images using the color assigned to a particular degree of the zodiac.