Illuminated Fruit: Science Experiment as Art

Photographer Caleb Charland turns fruit into electrochemical cells.

See a slideshow below.

His series Back to Light is inspired by that old science class experiment: if you stick a galvanized nail in one end of a potato and a copper wire in the other, it will become a battery. Charland generates enough electricity from the fruit to power the lights that illuminate his shots. He uses long exposures to take these photographs, but nothing is added digitally to the images.

“My practice as an artist combines a scientific curiosity with a constructive approach to making pictures,” Charland says. “I utilize everyday objects and fundamental forces to illustrate experiences of wonder.” You can see more of his work here.