LightHammer / Andrew Goodman

LightHammer (and the broader discipline of LightSmithing that has sprung from it) is an exploration of the photographic process in which light emitting instruments are used to generate images. The resulting images are ethereal distillations of the image-making process in which the subject is violently destroyed by the very act of portrayal.

Since the construction of the first ‘LightHammer’ in June 2011, a total of seven hammers have been built, with models varying from simple switches and handcut lumber to micro-controllers and 3D-printed parts.

The demonstration at the AND Fair followed the release of a revised LightHammer design, for free and in conjunction with Maker Faire New York, via instructables.com. The ultimate goal is not to advance the adoption of a single tool, but rather to serve as a prototype for a broader creative practice outside the confines of mass produced hardware, software and media.