In July 1961, on London’s South Bank, Gustav Metzger put on a gas mask, rubber gloves and a hard hat and proceeded to spray hydrochloric acid in elaborate patterns all over three large screens of white, black and red nylon. Filmed up close, the quick melting and tearing away of fabric is beautiful, disturbing and captivating. Seen from 10 feet away, it looks like a hazmat worker messing around with tattered, ripped sheets.

The full blog post, on the Serpentine Gallery’s Gustav Metzger retrospective, is at the NEW YORK TIMES.