William Parker
American, 20th Century
Plasma Globe, 1984
Signed to the center post, edition 325/375
With intensity toggles to the front of the black plastic base.

William B. Parker is an American artist, scientist, and entrepreneur, best known for inventing the modern design of the plasma globe. The invention occurred in 1971, when Parker was working as a student in a physics laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and accidentally filled a test chamber to a greater-than-usual pressure with ionized neon and argon. Three years later, Parker was artist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco and created two installations using this technology, entitled Quiet Lightning and AM Lightning.
17 x 14 x 14 in. (43.2 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm.), globe diameter: 12 in. (30.5 cm.)

In good working order, no imperfections.

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