Visual Art

Picturesque State Spots Hang by a Thread

Ryne Thornsen |

By attaching a camera to a kite, Craig Wilson is able to take aerial photographs unlike any airplane or other high-altitude camera possibly could. Flying at only 50 to a few-hundred feet off the ground, the kite-camera produces a photo resolution much higher than that of a zoomed-in camera thousands of feet in the air. Hanging by a Thread is the beautiful result of Wilson’s expeditions across Wisconsin, from the state capitol building on the book’s cover to activities like water parks or, appropriately, “kites on ice” in Madison. (The closest one to our region is River Falls.) More than 140 photos make this book a truly artistic look at the lifestyles of Wisconsin residents and what our home looks like from above. Or if you’re not a Wisconsin resident, the clarity of these photos is certainly something to marvel at and make you wonder what else a kite can do. Take that, Ben Franklin.