Artists, man! They'll cut a square of sod out of your front yard, stick it on the wall, and call it a masterpiece. No, but actually this is quite cool:
Film is said to be a dying medium, and Christopher Colville took that to heart for the "No Mirrors" exhibit that opens Thursday at RayKo Photo Center. He laid out a piece of photo paper and on it he placed a decomposing squid. The only light source was the natural phosphorescence given off by the animal as its body broke down. The result is a bizarre underwater dreamscape in black, blue, and white -- like a San Jose Sharks logo on LSD.
Follow this link for images of Colville's "Dark Emanations." They're beautiful!
However, it should be noted that squid itself is not responsible for the "natural phosphorescence" produced as it decomposes. The glow actually comes from bacteria living on the squid's body, probably Vibrio phosphoreum. (Here's how to make your own glowing squid.)
These are not the famous symbiotic bacteria found in bobtail squid with special light organs--that's Vibrio fischeri. Colville's V. phosphoreum just runs around loose in the seawater--so you can do the above experiment with any old squid or ocean fish. Probably even a jelly.
