Chris Combs
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chriscombs.net
Chris Combs
@chriscombs.net
580 followers 1.4K following 310 posts
Artist in Washington, DC and Mount Rainier, MD. My art both incorporates and questions technologies. https://chriscombs.net
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chriscombs.net
Here's a video view that gives you a sense of what it's like to peer in the screen. The scenes are fairly still, changing every 30-60 seconds; not dynamic enough to watch like a video per se, but more like an ever-changing picture frame.

Permalink with more videos: chriscombs.net/2025/09/24/p...
September 26, 2025 at 1:59 PM
chriscombs.net
Here's my first permanent public artwork, "Periscopes." When you look through its bulbous lenses, you see scenes that might seem faraway, such as heron stalking their prey; but all of the footage was filmed (by me) within 10mi of its site at Buzzard Point in southwest Washington, D.C., USA.
In a brick-lined planter along a quiet breezeway, two periscope-like grey pipes erupt from the ground like brontosauruses. They each are painted industrial grey and are roughly person-sized. From this angle, the closer "Periscope" reveals a bulbous screen that is displaying a watery natural scene. From a few feet away, their setting is more apparent. They are at two different heights, pointed, as if curious creatures, in two different directions. A close-up view shows another natural scene, this time showing a swamp. There is a hood over the end of the artwork, akin to a traffic light or signal. It has big chunky bolts. A side view shows the artwork's proximity to a central square within its host development.
September 26, 2025 at 1:56 PM
chriscombs.net
Today's mood
A child balances a log while crossing a river against a backdrop of smokestacks, trash, rusting machine carcasses, and pollution as a few wild plants and creatures try to flee on the illustrated cover of the "How and Why Wonder Book of the Spoilt Earth," a 1972 science book for kids with a slightly discordant title.
August 25, 2025 at 5:51 PM
chriscombs.net
SO wonderful as a sole proprietor to be paying 55% tariffs on my own circuit board designs
SUMMARY: Merchandise Total $320.20 Shipping Estimate $48.71 Customs duties & taxes $176.11
August 22, 2025 at 4:12 AM
chriscombs.net
@cmzparker5.bsky.social Are you still going on "public safety" strolls with MPD?

Here's our biggest safety concern right now: MPD (and the random feds and guardsmen) assaulting our neighbors for no reason whatsoever
Eckington Public Safety Walk We will continue our community walks and multi-agency coordination with neighbors on Monday, August 25 with a walk in Eckington along T St NE. Here are the details: Public Safety Walk - August 25 @ 6:30 p.m. Meet at T St and Summit Pl NE We will join MPD's Community Safety Walk to address quality-of-life concerns in the T St NE area of Eckington. This is a great chance to connect with neighbors and share any safety concerns you have.
August 18, 2025 at 5:11 PM
chriscombs.net
Here's what AOL had to say about "Netiquette" in July 1994.

"Online, no one can hear your voice. What you would have said hesitantly, or ironically, or with a shrug, appears online as words alone, usually with more force than you intend."
A scanned document with the following text: Online Etiquette — "Netiquette" Every community has its codes of behavior, and the electronic community is no exception. America Online defines what is unacceptable with its Terms of Service, but what is acceptable is not the same as what is desirable. To enjoy your time online, and to get a good response from other members of the community, you should have a basic understanding of netiquette. Most of it is common sense, or the same good manners you use in the real world. Some fundamental rules of netiquette are: Be polite, or at least civil. Beyond the tenets of good manners, and the common-sense wisdom that civility works better than hostility, it is particularly important to watch your words. Online, no one can hear your voice. What you would have said hesitantly, or ironically, or with a shrug, appears online as words alone, usually with more force than you intend. Make sure that you always ask yourself if you would like to receive from a stranger what you are about to send. Be brief. It costs money to read online. Also, reading online is more tiring than reading a book. Long-winded, clause-filled passages, elegant though they may be, get skipped. A scanned document with the following text: Don't contribute unless you have something to say. Online users resent wading through messages that simply say "I agree with Bob" or that merely repeat what Bob or anyone else already said. The online community is smart and impatient; if you want to say something, say something new. Make sure you are fully up-to-date on the discussion. Online users reserve particular venom for people who enter discussions and voice their opinions without reading what has already been posted. Get quotes right. If you quote another person's message in order to argue with it, and your quote is not what the other person actually said, you appear lazy or dishonest. Paraphrasing a long passage is of course acceptable, but since copying and pasting text is relatively easy with a computer, you will be faulted in strident terms for incorrectly stating what someone else said. Avoid capitalizing whole words. CAPITAL LETTERS SHOUT, and messages full of them are hard to read. To emphasize words, mark them off with asterisks (for example, *amazing*). For italics, such as a book title, mark the phrase off with underscores (for example, Moby Dick_).
July 30, 2025 at 2:37 PM
chriscombs.net
Also, truly a gem in my collection of Ancient Paper Artifacts—I just scanned and uploaded the AOL guide for "Information Providers." This document was heavily NDA-ed back when AOL existed. archive.org/details/amer...
The cover and intro page from a scanned AOL "Information Provider's Guide." The cover is a SUPER 90's "jazz cup" style design with three superimposed copies of the AOL logo in teal, purple, and blue. It is labeled "Revision 1.0, July 1994."
July 30, 2025 at 3:13 AM
chriscombs.net
ftfy
instead of "AI 2027" hypebeasting, it's now "Segway 2027"! We predict that the impact of Segway mobility devices over the next decade will be enormous, exceeding that of the Industrial Revolution. "Mid 2025: Stumbling Scooters - The world will see its first glimpse of a future where you will quite literally /lean in/." "Unreliable Vehicle is like walking at *8x human speed*"
July 24, 2025 at 11:16 PM
chriscombs.net
Post an unusual sign if you feel like it
a worn sign reading, "DANGER: SLUSHING"
June 29, 2025 at 9:07 PM
chriscombs.net
Guess that Valnet acquisition is going just great. Look what I found in my spam box...

And yes this is signed by polygon.com
An email from Polygon, newsletter@polygon.com, titled "rrrrr" with the email body "rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" Also, the footer says "You are subscribed to Moms.com newsletters" but the logo is Polygon and so is the email domain
June 28, 2025 at 6:04 PM
chriscombs.net
Here is my favorite western-US joke I've seen in the facility so far.
Inside an industrial-looking science facility, a bright-yellow overhead sign reads "WALL DRUG 97 MILES ➡ 2037 FEET ⬆." Wall Drug is a roadside attraction best known for being a long ways away from anything, really, and so they have signs for thousands of miles/km advertising their presence. I think they are still advertising free ice water, to give you an idea of their age
June 17, 2025 at 5:49 PM
chriscombs.net
Today was my first day underground as the 2025 artist in residence at the Sanford Underground Research Facility! I'm still coming down from the high (or coming up from the depths?) but here are a few quick views from 4,850 feet under the surface of Lead, SD, USA.
I look at the camera, wearing a hard hat, high-vis coveralls, and a headlamp. I'm in a rough-hewn drift, or tunnel, with other similarly dressed folks behind me. There is rail on the ground, with ladders, fencing, and industrial fittings everywhere. A tour group wearing lit headlamps approaches the camera from within a dark cavern. The walls have netting and rock bolts to secure the rock. A large, red blast door with a guide from Fermilab standing next to it; he is holding open a much smaller person-sized door for us to enter. The room is dark beyond. A dramatic view of a rail line leading into a dark tunnel, with a distant pool of light. The walls are particularly rough here. LED rope light and other bulbs provide a bit of ambient lighting in the closest portions of the photo.
June 17, 2025 at 1:47 AM
chriscombs.net
"Unforeseen," my new solo (duo) show with Ceci Cole McInturff is open now at VisArts in Rockville. There's a reception on Friday 5/30, 7–9PM.

In addition to Ceci's amazing beings from the future, the show features the Sandia message, "Drop and Run," the Demon Core, and, of course, a traffic cone
In a dark room, lit only by sparkling black-and-white high-contrast projections, hangs a dragon-like creature made with a spindly branch of wood, bark, and natural materials. This being is suspended over a hemisphere in the center of the room. Upon closer inspection, a second being is also hanging over the ball, brooding. In the shadows, a number of paper hangings decorate each wall. A close-up of a hanging wooden creature with horns, wings, and a craggy face, all formed from wood, antlers, and natural materials. It is lit by flashlight, casting a sharp shadow onto wall hangings which read "This message is a warning about danger," among other obscured things. A shiny metallic rod lays, as though dropped, in a heap of dark sand. It is lit by a few sparkles and a flashlight beam. The rod is engraved: "DANGER RADIATION DROP & RUN Co 60 354C CURIES" A flashlight beam lights the phrase, "THIS PLACE IS A MESSAGE..." written in a tomb-like, lanky serif typeface.
May 23, 2025 at 3:30 PM
chriscombs.net
can I get a what-what from the chat for this impeccable handwriting from the DigiKey warehouse? it's basically a cardboard nixie
The side of a cardboard box from electronics distributor DigiKey, with handwritten numerals vertically written: 7825. The digits are distinctively lettered, with extra precise flourishes and corners for legibility. As an example, the seven digit includes a left-hand downwards notch on the top of the seven; the eight is composed of two individual near-perfect circles instead of a figure-eight; the two and five each include railway-like switches of direction for their inside corners. 5 out of 5, no notes
May 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM
chriscombs.net
Oh, lol
labeling myself in a crop of the photo. I am standing in the way back due to Loud 🤘
May 11, 2025 at 3:31 AM
chriscombs.net
My studio will be opening its doors on Saturday, May 10, 12–5PM! Come visit me in Mount Rainier, MD, just over the border from D.C.
www.gatewaycdc.org/ost2025
A photo of my studio building, with a mural by Jeff Huntington (Jahru). It depicts three overlapping femme-presenting faces in purple, green, orange, and red vertical stripes. Overlaid on the photo is text: "Open studios tour 2025: May 10, 2025, 12:00PM–5:00PM"
May 7, 2025 at 2:36 PM
chriscombs.net
This artwork, "Forces," is part of a fundraiser for the Washington Project for the Arts.

Its split log may initially conceal the bright orange light on its rear. But once you approach, a motion sensor causes the light to pulse ominously: my "Check Engine" light for Earth.

artsy.net/wpabenefit
A roughly footlong (30cm) chunk of a split log, complete with bark, hangs in front of a wall. On the wall behind it is a bit of orange light. Seen from the side, the source of the light is more clear: an orange lens, of a sort that would be used on a truck, is glowing. The log's support on the wall is also visible: aluminum square tubing hangs snug to the wall, with two cylinders of aluminum tube connecting to the log.
April 30, 2025 at 3:03 PM
chriscombs.net
works both ways, honestly
A headline on the Guardian: "A crack in the manosphere: Joe Rogan's guests are revolting"
April 16, 2025 at 4:09 PM
chriscombs.net
only acceptable use for a uline catalog lol
a bunch of Uline catalog pages--the company sells office supplies--glued to a papier-mache substrate. they show things like "Air Mesh Chairs," "Poly Top Worktables," and "Cabinet Workbenches". the catalog pages are wrinkly, wet, and glued higgly-piggly in all directions and rotations.
April 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
chriscombs.net
I've had the privilege of showing at Freight Gallery once before. Here's what that looked like.
A glowing, flower-shaped metal sculpture stands in a dark elevator. It is covered in lights and screens glowing blue and orange. From further away, the dramatic setting of Freight Gallery is more apparent: a long, dimly-lit hallway, ending in a small, square box: the elevator.
March 27, 2025 at 2:30 PM
chriscombs.net
DC folx: Come see "Sylvan," my collaboration with Ceci Cole McInturff, at Freight Gallery in northeast D.C. on Sunday, March 30, 4–6PM.

The opening is the show; for these two hours, a working, hundred-year-old freight elevator is converted into a gallery space. www.freightgallery.com
An enigmatic detail photo shows a shiny ball covered in dappled light, reflecting onto a brown, concrete floor. It looks a bit like a spacecraft.
March 27, 2025 at 3:07 AM
chriscombs.net
If you're attending GWU's OScon, swing by Gallery 102 on Tuesday from 3:30-5:30pm to see "Public Sauce," a show of artworks built with open source technologies. We're having a reception and artist's talk that day. Pictured is "POET.EXE," my collaboration with @smithcaseysmith.
A wall-mounted machine with four carriages, each containing a glowing red screen. Each screen shows one line of a poem: "Solitary volume greeted / dart like darling birds / south-wind / like a fairy dream." Further down on the industrial/metal machine is a lamplit control panel with four touchable tracks. A promotional flyer for the show, "Public Sauce," has a drawn depiction of a barbecue sauce bottle, "No secret ingredients." Recent artworks by Jason Bulluck, Chris Combs, Michelle Lisa Herman, David Mordini, and Derek Toomes. March 17-29, Gallery 102, 801 22nd Street NW. OSCon Conference Reception March 25, 3:30-5:30; closing reception March 29, 5:30-7:30.
March 24, 2025 at 8:57 PM
chriscombs.net
Post a warning
An absolutely chicken-fried sign in the desert. It's almost totally illegible and is cracked and browned beyond belief. If you study it for several minutes, you may be able to read: "AREA CLOSED to protect natural features and ensure public safety DO NOT ENTER"
March 23, 2025 at 2:38 AM
chriscombs.net
my favorite thing about that place was that they had supply/demand absolutely 100% backwards
A new bar in Northeast D.C.’s H Street Corridor is presenting a new, novel way to buy beer. The Big Board offers burgers, brews and the chance to drive your own price. As co-owner Eric Flannery explains, the fluctuating beer prices come from a special algorithm which “changes depending on how many people are here, what day of the week it is, what type of beers are being ordered.” But the bottom line, he says, “is the more type of beer that somebody orders, the lower the price goes.”
March 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM
chriscombs.net
Thank you!! I was inspired (and re-painted a lot of the marketing phrases from) the Relax-a-Lator, a classic boardwalk machine. Step on the plate, insert a nickel... and it jiggles your feet!
A metal dais or pedestal; step on it, and the "Relax-a-Lator" promises you "a tonic! a real treat! For tired and aching feet!" It has old-timey hand lettering and a coin slot. "'Step Up' for a 'Pick Up'"—"Tired? No pep? Feet hurt?" It is nestled among other arcade machines in this photo from the Pinball Museum in Las Vegas, NV, if I remember right.
March 21, 2025 at 1:44 AM