Light Show

Artists known for working with light

You and I, Horizontal (2005) by Anthony McCall

McCall created an illusion by using light for this work which allows the audience to have a film-like experience. This illusion was set up using a video projector, haze machine, and computer scripting however the sculpture itself is made of light and wouldn’t exist without it. The work is the only light source in the room so once you enter the room it is quite dark. All you can see is the sculpture which allows McCall to get the audience to concentrate on the work only and maximise its effects. The sculpture looks almost like a tunnel making the viewers feel unsure whether they can actually walk through it.

However, it is possible to walk through and around the work and the film-like effects exist because the way we perceive the work changes as we move around it. When you first enter the room and you’re outside the sculpture, it feels like the light is in fact solid. Then as you’re walking through it you realise that it’s just an illusion. This makes you feel like the solid shape was dematerialised. Once you are right in front of the projector, the light creates the illusion that you are stuck inside of a tunnel. If you try to touch the light that seems like a solid wall you realise that there is nothing there however the feeling of being stuck remains.

The light creates a geometric shape which is an important aspect of the work. A cone is created with the use of a projector which is why you feel like you are in a tunnel. The top of the cone is quite narrow compared to the bottom, so when you look in front of you, it seems like you are in a tunnel but you can see the outside. The closer you get to the projector the brighter the light gets which is basically what creates this illusion.

Rose (2007) by Ann Veronica Janssens

Janssens used light, artificial fog, and colour projections to create Rose, which is a piece that has a lot of illusionistic elements in it. The work was placed in a room on its own and it appears to be shaped like a star. It is the only light source in the room so the whole room looks red. The use of colored projections gave Janssens an opportunity to make a reference to temperature. The color red makes us feel warm so once you step inside the room you feel slightly warmer even though the temperature remains the same. In addition to this, the star shape, which seems to be there, disappears as you get closer.

Once you go under the spotlights, all that remains is the artificial mist. Janssens described this process as making matter dissolve which is exactly what the experience of walking into the solid-looking star feels like. This experience can also be described as sculpting light as how light appears was changed to create a star. Sculptors often change how materials look like to create their own works however Janssens changed something that is not a material. Light isn’t something we can touch therefore we can suggest that Rose is an unconventional piece that challenges the traditional expectations of sculptures.

Janssens aimed to make the audience experience altered states of consciousness. These included the effects of drugs and hypnosis which change how we perceive the things around us. In the case of Rose, we see light which appears to solidify and create a star. It feels like we are seeing something that is not actually there which is partially true as the star isn’t materialized.

Untitled (1969) by Doug Wheeler

Untitled 1969 by Doug Wheeler was also featured in a dark room and consists of a large square that appears to float freely in space. Even though the work is two-dimensional, Wheeler used light to make it look three-dimensional and therefore created an illusion. Light has been used by many sculptors so far, however, in this case, light itself became the sculpture rather than simply being a part of it. Without light, the sculpture would not exist. This is important when we consider the piece in terms of illusion as light is often used as a medium whilst creating illusions. Another thing that can be said about this sculpture is the fact that it hurts your eyes as you get closer because the light is quite bright. On the other hand, even though so much light was used the work casts no shadows whatsoever. It simply makes the room appear blue giving off the impression that we are in a cold space. Blue has always been associated with cold therefore just like Rose this piece creates an illusion using the temperature.

The square has no hard edges which separates the work of art from the rest of the surroundings. It looks less real with the blurry edges. This allows the audience to notice the illusion. Also, Wheeler used a geometric shape which adds to the creation of an illusion by presenting a shape that the audience can recognise easily but changing how it usually would appear. Wheeler described this process as ‘…When the piece was turned on, it dematerialised and appeared to be a suspended color field of light.’ The word ‘dematerialised’ is very important because it reflects the idea that light exists but is not materialistic. By using this feature one can convince the audience that something is material even though it isn’t.

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