Radar Angels
Generative Digital Artwork. Data Visualisation. Light Installation.
Inspace Gallery, Artist Residency
Radar Angels delves into the unexpected intersection of human technology and the unseen world of bird migration. Inspired by an unexpected wartime phenomenon where radar technology designed for war inadvertently detected mysterious echoes dubbed "angels" - later revealed to be migrating birds - this piece transforms the unseen pathways of seabirds into luminous, dynamic visualizations.
It explores the profound intelligence of migratory life, laying bare the intricate, often overlooked, connections within our natural world. This work blends scientific data, historical narrative, and digital art to reveal the sublime patterns of animal movement, inviting viewers into a contemplative space where technology illuminates the wild.
Radar Angels: Puffin Portraits
Generative artworks transforming the unseen flight paths of individual puffins into dynamic, living portraits. These luminous compositions reveal the unique signatures of each bird's journey, charting their movement and oceanic depths, and inviting contemplation on the profound intelligence of migratory life.
The engima of the ‘Angels’
During World War II, British military radar operators began encountering baffling, unexplained blips on their screens, a phenomena they termed "angels." These elusive echoes, initially dismissed as technical anomalies, or even theorised by some, like Sir Edward Fennessy (who was responsible for the radar chain), as the ethereal "guardian angels" - the souls of British soldiers returning to defend their country. He famously noted, “no explanation was ever found, and because we were busy fighting a war we spent no time investigating this phenomena.”
It was only later, through the observations of figures like David Lack of the Army Operational Research Group, that the groundbreaking realisation emerged: these "angels" were, in fact, the silent, enigmatic presence and vast migrations of birds.
This fascinating piece of history perfectly illustrates how human perception, shaped by immediate concerns, can be challenged by the natural world. This accidental discovery laid the foundation for radar ornithology, a field that has since revolutionized our understanding of avian flight, navigation, and behaviour. Radar Angels reflects on how a technology forged for war inadvertently opened a portal into the hidden rhythms of the living world, revealing the complex, unseen movements of nature, and our own place within it.
The Flights of the Scottish Seabirds
This generative artwork makes visible the extraordinary journeys of seabirds that call the Scottish islands home. Collaborating with the RSPB and Ray Interactive, the work utilizes GPS bird tracking data and depth and temperature of the ocean.
The resulting visualisations explore the intricate and vital role of seabirds as cross-ecosystem species - bridging marine, deep sea, coastal, and terrestrial environments. Each luminous trajectory represents the tireless flights of gannets, puffins, and razorbills, captured as they navigate the vastness, dive for food, or return to their nesting sites.
