A cyanometer is an instrument for measuring the blueness of the sky. It was invented in 1789 by scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure who correctly surmised that blueness was dependent on the amount of water vapor suspended in the atmosphere. In the Great Basin of the American West, the dry desert air makes the sky rest firmly in the bluest area of the cyanometer. This piece was created as an Artist-in-Residence at Black Rock Desert National Conservation Area.

This piece won a Juror’s Award at the Utah Arts & Museums Statewide Annual exhibition in November, 2015. This statewide annual exhibit is sponsored by the Utah Division of Arts and Museums.

The original version of this piece is in the State of Utah art collection, purchased in 2015.