Signals from a Solar Well

Signals from a Solar Well layers sounds recorded with contact mics on a solar panel, its box, and the pump as it draws water. The windmill that used to power this well broke. It was too expensive to fix, so a solar panel replaced it. With all the sun in West Texas, it now pumps water more consistently over time. Moss grows in the trough, fueled by the same sunlight that powers the pump. I was mesmerized by the moths caught in what they must have thought was heaven, a shimmering surface drawing them in, only to find themselves trapped, their wings too waterlogged to escape. Now this well offers water to animals who are surrounded by oil derricks in a dry landscape.

Aerial view of the solar well

Moss at the bottom of the tank, 35mm

Cassidy C. Cole