Adam Frelin

White Heat

burnt-out car, lights, ash / mounted and laminated c-print
installation view / 48" x 60"
2004

My solo exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, "Spotlight/White Heat/Airborne," consisted of three new artworks, the most ambitious being the staged photograph, "White Heat." The image depicts the moment after a car had ceased burning on a lush side street. The car's interior has reached a temperature known as white heat that causes it to glow bright white, illuminating the entire scene. In its installation in the museum the 4' x 5' photograph (titled "White Heat Maintained") is shown with the actual car (titled "White Heat Expired"), which was meticulously burnt over the course of months to give it the appearance of having reached such a high burning temperature.