European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 28, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine modern Art can be a real blast by de Moreno associated press t he Small Mesa on the Back Side of Socorro Peak is Millered with broken Piast Erand Trie remains of old Jet fighters now used or Daryei practice. A military tank leisurely Rolls around in circles. In the distance workmen build exotic structures to test explosives. Signs warn people to say away. It is in Odd place Tor an artists studio. But this is the site chosen by Evelyn Rosenberg and Alice warder Seely to produce their Art. They use in Plosives to create High Telnet murals and sculptures. The canyons Southwest of the Mountain Are Ine Field Laboratory Tor two of the nation s leading explosives research facilities the . Navy s terminal effects research analysis program and the Lle filing Center for explosives technology research at new Mexico Institute of mining and technology. Under the auspices of the Center and with the backing of new Mexico tech president Laurence Lattman tech has become Home to the new experimental Art form that began with a Well known principle. Everyone who had done explosives noticed that when you put something on the Surace under the explosives. It makes the image says Rosenberg Vucho is Cairy Ifill on her work through an adjunct professorship at new Mexico tech. Officials Al tech recently dedicated the artists first completed work a seven panel mural designed by Rosenberg hanging at the Merance of the school s Macey Center. The mural Ormed in 24-Guaga steel depicts the evolution of animal Ille in the Middle Rio Grande Valley from trilobites and deme codons to primitive Birds Small mammals my finally humans. The seven panels each measuring 4 feel by 3vi feet culminated several months of experiments involving some 80 blasts at Shetera site where remnants of their plaster holds Are scattered about. Typically artistic Metal Relief pieces Are achieved by an expensive Bronze casting method or a time consuming hammering known As repousse. Wilt explosives the Force of the blast pushes the Metal into the shape of a plaster Mold resulting in a High degree of  entire mural Cost about 512,000 of produce compared with the estimated $100,000 it would have Cost to Cas the pieces in Bronze Rosenberg says. The completion of the mural provided both the arts is and technical experts valuable inform Don Alice warder Svetly holds up modern Art reeled at Secorra peat , about molding metals into aft. It also has launched a new round of experiments using different types of melons and holds. The artists technical adviser. Alexander Shecket. An expert in explosives bonding welding and forming said explosives can be used to etch emboss or form any design in Metal. The technique work but of course it is necessary to develop it further he says adding Fiat the primary Mission of ctr is to develop explosives bonding methods for Industry. The Center is capable and has the know How so achieve any Type of shape any Type of form in this Case to form it into a shape provided by the  explosives As an artist s tool have a very big future Shecket says it number of companies have expressed interest in using the talents of new Mexico s numerous artists to create different types of explosives Art Zeckel says future efforts will include three dimensional sculpture and attempts to Bond two types of materials wih cutouts allowing Bronze or Copper details to Shine through steel panels. On a recent Windy afternoon the artists travelled to the tera site to blast four panels in Bronze Copper and aluminium hoping to fuse them with various types of Metal foil enamel Sand Metal shavings and other materials. Thick plaster holds depleting leaves prehistoric animals and other designs were Laid on the Rocky ground then covered with the Metal sheets miscellaneous materials and a thin layer of rubber 10 Cushion the blast. Rich boots the tera ordinance technician most often assigned to work with Rosenberg and Seely then tuesday january 23, 1986 covered hire Metal with a layer of Del Sheet the Iradge name for the c-1 plastic explosives used to form the mural the expletive then were tied to a Long hollow Cord coated inside with More sensitive explosives the Cord was Strung to a Concrete Bunker overlooking the blast site about 60 Yards away. The Luse was lit and a minute later a loud Kaboom shattered the atmosphere and lifted s Cloud of dust Inlo the air As All four panels were blown in unison. The Experiment was a partial Success. Blackened impressions were created in the Bronze and Copper pieces bul the aluminium was Lorn into shrapnel it s really hard to see what you Vegol until in s cleaned says Rosenberg who does that work at her Albuquerque Home. The artistic spin off to the ctr s explosives research began tale last year when a visiting defense Scie Lisl from Israel Gideon Sivan a vecs at tech on sabbatical. Sivan and Rosenberg began experimenting with Small holds. The experiments were largely unsuccessful because the Shock Waves would Bounce the Small Metal pieces Oil the steel anvils and Scalier them around the his Side. When a larger panel was attempted however Sivan and the artists found the Earth absorbed the Shock Waves and left the steel plates More or Ess in place. Thai was the real breakthrough says Rosenberg who Laler recruited her Friend Seely to help her. Rosen Jerg Hopes companies involved in explosives and research eventually will commission artistic Wihs thus helping establish the use of explosives As a legitimate Art form and not jus Tatosky  stars and stripes Page 13