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“Creating art can be transformative and healing, allowing expression where words can’t or fall short. Experiencing art can be cathartic.” This is the introductory passage for an article by Alcon Lighting, April 3, 2020, giving a history of light and its use by some of today’s Light Artists. https://www.alconlighting.com/blog/home/led-innovations-art-top-artists-use-light-medium/
As far back in the 1800s, the Impressionists used paint to “capture” light. Monet painted the Cathedral at different times of the day using various color splotches that would play against one another to depict the light of the moment. Today artists use actual light and technology to create environments that the viewer can experience and be immersed in. There are so many artists now working with this medium that I would be remiss to only mention one, but let me introduce one who early on broke off from more traditional materials as a minimalist and used only florescent light bulbs, Dan Flavin, 1933-1996. He came upon this accidently in his studio when a lighted florescent stood against his wall and he discovered the medium of light that set him apart.
Like moths, we are drawn to light. Different color lights have a decided effect on us. They can calm, excite, make us feel dreamy or agitated. Artists such as Mary Corse, and Robert Irwin, are a couple that follow Dan Flavin’s minimalist sensibility, some create environments like James Turrell’s Roden Crater, some light artists politically charge their work like Jenny Holtzman and Iván Navarro, and now technology plays a major role as in Jim Campbell’s work. Present work that uses light as a medium is also being done by collaborative groups like teamLab, made up of programmers, engineers, animators, architects, and mathematicians. Their work is fully immersive and leans toward technology-based entertainment. https://magazine.artland.com/top-10-light-art-artists-in-the-modern-and-contemporary-art/
Many people use lighting to highlight their landscaping but as daylight gets shorter and the nights longer, we enter into a season of lights that begs us to gather around and spread joy. Entertainment is part of its value for us, and multicultural holidays of the season all involve some form of light. Hanukah’s festival of lights continues for eight days of lighting a menorah, for Kwanzaa a one candle is lit, each for seven days in a kinara, and for Diwali diya lamps are lit. Certainly we all experience the lights of Christmas. They are everywhere in the United States and they sparkle in every store and lobby throughout bringing a child’s smile to everyone. We entertain ourselves, driving around for the wildest decorations while others decorate to entertain us. I don’t know if it can be a cathartic experience like expressed in the opening passage, but it certainly is fun and uplifting.
This is one of the joys of having a place to call home. To be able to decorate and fill it with the lights of the season. To make an environment that entertains, gives warmth with the feeling of coziness. May you enjoy the season of lights and be filled with joy and peace.
