American River

American River
Image transfer, acrylic, reflective beads on wood
36” x 24”

I found that reproducing a Department of Transportation level reflective sign to be very difficult. I got the idea from the classic black and white “American River” bridge signs that line the river at many of the crossings. After doing my research I found retroreflective glass beads. I also found that applying them to any surface besides a two-lane black top surface with a $50k Truck-Mounted Road Striping unit to be insane. After many attempts and learning the hard way that touching the material that easily becomes airborne was not unlike insulating the attic of a house in your undroos. Very microscopic and cutty. It’s not perfect and I’ve found the effect to be more interesting during the daylight hours but alas we have a reflective River sign.

- Cheyenne Randall