Public Art Review issue 30 - 2004 (spring/summer) by forecastpublicart

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Public Art: Changing Our Communities. The Port of San Diego Public Art Program's mission and vision is to promote community development and identity through the seamless integration of contemporary art.

John S. Stokes III and Bob Archer: Puzzle Tree ("Urban Trees" temporary installation, I of 30 sculptures)

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Between

Bay and Sky

Kite

The Port is proud of t h e following permanent collection artists: Juan Acosta Mario Battels Steve Bartlett Oswaldo Benitez Stanley Bleifeld Carolyn Braaksma Kenneth Capps James Carpenter Eugene Daub T.J. Dixon Mary Lynn Dominguez Kim Emerson Thomas J. Erhardt Paul Fjelde Charles Faust PaulT. Granlund Mags Harries Lajos Heder Dan Hill Donal Hord James T. Hubbell Gary Hughes Joan Irving Malcolm Jones Masahiko Katori Moon Kim David Lathrop Jeffery Laudenslager William LeDent Christopher Lee Biraika Makuyeika James Nelson Leonardo Nierman Les Perhacs George Peters Louis Quaintance Julian Quintana Julian Renteria Maximino Renteria Teresa Renteria Gail Roberts Deanne Sabeck Niki de Saint Phalle Victor Salmones Italo Scanga Christopher Slatoff Te'may Terry Thornsley Mario Torero Franco Vianello Melanie Walker Peter Walker A. Wasil John J. Whalen Wyland

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Public Ar[Review LIGHT

features ILLUMINATING PUBLIC SPACE

LET THERE BE LIGHT

ILLUSTRATED BURNING MAN

LIGHT SHOWS IN CONTEMPORARY ART

David Edgar

L o u i s M . Brill

Daniel Canogar

THE EVOLVING PUBLIC FACE OF LIGHT ART R u s s e l l P. Leslie

reports and reviews GARDEN OF STONES

LIGHTING FOR PUBLIC ART

H a r r i e t F. S e n i e 34

Alfred R . B o r d e n

FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL

NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT

THE PUBLIC ART NETWORK

Jack Becker

ToddBressi

listings LIGHT PROJECTS

RECENT PROJECTS

PUBLIC ART REVIEW

cover:

VOLUME 15, NUMBER 2

1040-21 lx) is published semiannu-

Michael Hayden. SKY'S THE LIMIT,

ally by F O R E C A S T Public-

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Artworks, 2324 University Ave. W.,

III., 1987. © Michael Hayden

Suite 102. St. Paul, MN 55114 us.

Photo by Doug Gould. Digital Designs

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tion herein are the responsibility of the author, not FORECAST, and FORECAST disclaims any claims made b>y advertisers and for images reproduced by advertisers.

FORECAST Public

Artworks

Public Art Review is indexed by Art Index. Public Art R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

FOREWORD JACK

BECKER

Fifteen years ago, the first issue o/'Public Art Review rolled off the press. The theme was public art on the waterfront. This year we celebrate PAR's fifteenth anniversary by focusing on another primary element: light. And with light, there is color. We are especially pleased to begin publishing PAR in full color, made possible through the support offenders, advertisers, and subscribers. Scientists have tried for hundreds of years to understand what light is. Light is elusive. Mirror reflections, prismatic refraction, glowing sunsets, growing shadows—all emerge and dissipate. From the overwhelming beauty of the Aurora Borealis to the perfect line of a laser beam, light has long held our fascination. From a scientific standpoint, light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, including gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, and radio waves. Although most of these manifestations are invisible, light and vision are closely linked. The rods and cones of the retina convert visible light waves and particles into electrical impulses, which are carried by the optic nerve to the brain, where images are formed. Sir Isaac Newton explored the spectral colors created by passing light waves through a prism. Einstein studied the speed of light—roughly 700 million miles per hour. In the 1960s the late French mathematician R e n e T h o m developed his "catastrophe theory" to explain the complex geometry of sparkling reflections on a sunlit sea, bright stars twinkling low in the sky on a frosty night, and the rainbow's graceful arch. Artists experimenting with light rely on both scientific theory and personal FORECAST board of directors

experience. T h e enormous range of possibilities can be overwhelming. How can we get our hands

David Allen, Elizabeth Childs,

around the multifaceted topic of light and public art? This issue of PAR explores both natural and

Carol Daly, Regina Flanagan,

artificial light, both contemporary light creations and relevant historical projects.

Robert Limning,Jon Schoonmaker, Stanton Sears, Ann Viitala, Emily Wadsworth, and Shelly Willis

There is something primal about natural light. Sculptor and educator David Edgar reveals a broad spectrum of public artworks that depend on sun, shadow, or other natural light phenomena. From sun dials to solar cells, Edgar uncovers a playful sensibility inherent in artists'

Public Art Review advisors

experimentation.

Penny Balkin Bach,Tom Bannister, Ricardo Barreto, Cathey Billian, Fuller Cowles, Greg Esser, Thomas

At night, thanks to electrical power, we have light works that sometimes defy description. Russ Leslie—architect, professor, and associate director of the Lighting Research

Fisher, Gretchen Freeman, Glenn

Center—discusses the challenges of working with artificial light, both for artists and communities as

Harper, Mary Jane Jacob, Mark John-

a whole. Beyond the wow factor, Leslie makes it clear there are environmental, economic, and social

stone, Stephen Knapp, Suzanne Lacy,

issues to consider.

Jack Mackie,Jill Manton,Jennifer McGregor, Patricia Phillips, Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz, Phil Pregill acknowledgments

Support for Public Art Review comes from the McKnight Foundation and the National

Endowment for the Arts.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

The first light created by humans was fire. Artist and author Louis Brill takes us on a tour of the infamous Burning Man festival, that public art mecca in the Nevada desert where artists annually come together to play, experiment, and shed inhibitions. While there are spiritual, pagan, and hippie undercurrents here, this is where cutting-edge light installations find a home. Artist and writer Daniel Canogar skillfully connects the history of light spectacles with modern-day investigations. Artists being lured by new technologies and potentially huge audiences, he claims, are entering an "ideologically loaded" field. How can they avoid succumbing to kitsch and cheap propaganda when using a medium of such mass appeal? Elsewhere in this issue, lighting designer A1 Borden offers a pragmatic overview of the issues involved in lighting outdoor artworks. Critic Harriet F. Senie reviews the latest permanent work of artist Andy Goldsworthy, and author Todd Bressi sheds light on the emerging Public

Additional funding for FORECAST is

Art Network, a nascent program of Americans for the Arts dedicated to serving professionals

provided by the United Arts Fund of

engaged in the public art field.

COMPAS, the Minnesota State Arts Board through an appropriation

As the artists featured in these pages attest, light is a form of energy. Exploiting its

from the Minnesota State Legisla-

artistic potential requires vision and a willingness to run risks. But there is a thrill when the light bulb

ture and a grant by the NEA,Jerome

goes off overhead, a surge of power and a sense of wonder, illuminating the possibilities. Shine on.

Foundation, and the many individu a l s u p p o r t e r s o f FORECAST.

Jack Becker is the executive director of FORECAST Public Artworks, publisher of Public Art Review.

LIGHT ENVIRONMENT

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

INTEGRATION ARTWORK

Fernanda D'Agostino & Valerie Otani, Bndge Between Cultures, Weller Street Pedestrian Bridge. Seattle. WA, 1999 Photo: YaM Studio

Barbara Grygutis, Standing Leaves Falling Light, Overlake Park and Ride, WA, 2002 Photo: Spike Mafford

I |

Mauricio Robalino, Jardines Del Cielo, Westhill Community Center, Skyway, WA, 1997 Photo: Joe Manfredini

I |

Norman Courtney, Luminaries, King County International Airport Renovation , WA, 2003 Photo: Spike Mafford

EXTRAORDINARY P LACES EVERYDAY SPACES

U n

CULTURE

ILLUMINATING PUBLIC SPACE LIGHT SHOWS IN CONTEMPORARY ART

DANIEL

CANOGAR

Every year light shows attract millions of spectators a r o u n d the globe; however, little critical attention is given to this genre. T h e s e shows are often featured in m a j o r tourist centers, including night spectacles at the Pyramids of Giza; the talking fountains at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas; and projections on screens of water at E p c o t C e n ter. Others, like laser shows at planetariums or firework displays c o m m e m o r a t i n g special holidays, are present in most urban centers in the West. C o n t e m p o r a r y artists have u s u ally scoffed at these presentations, finding t h e m t o o banal to m e r i t serious aesthetic consideration. Yet a n u m b e r of n e w media artists, attracted by sophisticated technologies and potentially h u g e audiences, are developing light shows. H o w to effectively intervene in such an ideologically loaded field? H o w n o t to s u c c u m b to kitsch and cheap propaganda w h e n using a m e d i u m of such mass appeal? T h e s e are some of the challenges such artists have to c o n t e n d with. An historical account of light shows and their origins may help answer some of these questions. Introduced to E u r o p e f r o m C h i n a , fireworks b e c a m e r u n - o f the-mill for urban political rituals such as national holidays or N e w Year celebrations. But with its introduction, electrical lighting rapidly b e c a m e the favorite m e d i u m for such events.The first public demonstrations of lighting using voltaic arcs were in 1870. T h e sight of the Brooklyn Bridge or a skyscraper spectacularly lit up changed urban nightlife forever: A n e w urban landscape technologically transformed by electricity was c o m i n g into being. Almost all innovations in electrical t e c h n o l o g y â&#x20AC;&#x201D; i n c l u d i n g electric signs, illuminated fountains, searchlights, and spotlightsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;appeared for the first t i m e at world fairs. At the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition, the public e n c o u n t e r e d the Electric Palace, a breath-taking pavilion w h o s e 12,000 dazzling lights and brightly-lit fountains attracted thousands of amazed spectators every night. Powerful spotlights placed o n top of the recently constructed Eiffel Tower lit, f r o m far above, the finest buildings o n the exposition site. A few years later, o n the o t h e r side of the Atlantic, electric lighting became a central motif in the 1893 C o l u m b i a n Exposition of Chicago. In the C o u r t of H o n o r , the m a i n area of the e x p o s i t i o n , t w o g i g a n t i c i l l u m i n a t e d f o u n t a i n s shot 150,000 liters of water per m i n u t e . T h e C o l u m b i a n E x p o s i t i o n , also k n o w n as the W h i t e City, had m o r e electric lighting than any A m e r i c a n city of the time. C o n s i d e r i n g that in 1888 less than I percent of U.S. households had electricity, the effect must have b e e n awe-inspiring. T h e visual b o m b a r d m e n t of these shows allowed urban dwellers to begin contemplating the e n o r m o u s inherent p o w e r of this n e w energy source. Since Jennifer Steinkamp, Aria, Fremont Street Experience Canopy, Las Vegas, Nev., 2000. Photo courtesy Jennifer Steinkamp

electricity itself was invisible, electric lighting b e c a m e the best way to demonstrate the o m n i p o t e n c e of this n e w f o r m of energy. David Nye's c o n c e p t of the "technological sublime" is especially h e l p ful w h e n describing the effect lighting shows had o n the masses. If Kant invoked the

Leo Villareal, Star, Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, N.Y.,

s u b l i m e to describe h o w h u m a n beings felt h u m b l e d w h e n c o n f r o n t e d w i t h t h e

2003-04.

immensity and g r a n d e u r of N a t u r e , N y e uses the technological sublime to describe

Photo by Leo Villareal

h o w individuals in the n i n e t e e n t h and twentieth centuries related to m a j o r t e c h n o l o g -

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Vectorial Elevation, Relational Architecture 4, Mexico

i, Mexico. Photo by Martin Vargas

ical teats s u c h as d a m s , skyscrapers, a n d e l e c t r i c light

f a m o u s of these was t h e Dome of Light, f o r m e d by 100

shows. N o t i o n s of natural a n d artificial w e r e b l u r r e d , and

p o w e r f u l searchlights p o i n t i n g skyward, w h i c h

w h a t e m e r g e d was a s y n t h e t i c e n v i r o n m e n t

evoking

staged d u r i n g the 1935 Nazi Party C o n g r e s s in N u r e m -

mystical feelings that sanctified t e c h n o l o g i c a l progress.

berg. T h e s e light shows visually a n t i c i p a t e d the use o f

F u r t h e r i n g these mystical associations, p s e u d o r e l i g i o u s

military antiaircraft surveillance used all across E u r o p e a

and overtly J u d e o - C h r i s t i a n i c o n o g r a p h y

f e w years later d u r i n g the S e c o n d World War. A similar

permeated

these lighting shows.

was

e v e n t was t h e G e r m a n Solstice Festival c e l e b r a t e d in

Large c o r p o r a t i o n s , realizing h o w n i g h t

Berlin S t a d i u m in 1938, d u r i n g w h i c h a swastika was

lighting attracted public a t t e n t i o n , started i l l u m i n a t i n g

f o r m e d by t h o u s a n d s o f i n d i v i d u a l s h o l d i n g t o r c h e s .

their head offices; the brilliant g l o w s e e m e d to p r o c l a i m

W U t e r B e n j a m i n d e s c r i b e d these N a z i c e r e m o n i e s as

t h e c o m p a n y ' s g o o d health. In 1908, the S i n g e r T o w e r in

p r o d u c i n g an i m a g e of t h e " f u n g i b i l i t y of mass m a n . "

N e w York, t h e highest in the w o r l d at that time, was t h e

T h e c e r e m o n i e s " c o m p a r e d h u m a n beings w i t h a c o n -

first to b e b a t h e d in light f r o m p o w e r f u l spotlights. By

trol panel o n w h i c h are thousands of electric light bulbs:

1913, t h e W o o l w o r t h Skyscraper was also lit up, and its

first these die o u t , t h e n o t h e r s light themselves anew."

visibility f r o m any p o i n t in t h e city m a d e it t h e best

T o d a y artists are r e s p o n d i n g t o

the

a d v e r t i s e m e n t f o r t h e c o m p a n y ' s chain o f c o m m e r c i a l

h y p e r - l i t w o r l d of c o r p o r a t e a n d g o v e r n m e n t p r o p a -

establishments. E v e n g o v e r n m e n t s started to realize t h e

ganda by creating their o w n large-scale lighting i n t e r -

political advantages of the patriotic s e n t i m e n t a w a k e n e d

v e n t i o n s in public s p a c e s . T h e presence or absence of the

by the i l l u m i n a t i o n of i m p o r t a n t cultural symbols. In the

citizen in today's u r b a n landscape is o n e of the issues that

U n i t e d States, d r a m a t i c lighting of the Statue of Liberty,

R a f a e l L o z a n o - H e m m e r explores in Vectorial

C a p i t o l Hill, t h e W h i t e H o u s e , and Niagara Falls created

For m a n y years this M e x i c a n - C a n a d i a n artist has b e e n

p r e c e d e n t s that w e r e s u b s e q u e n t l y c o p i e d by all the c e n -

a l t e r i n g t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f u r b a n settings t h r o u g h

tral p o w e r s in E u r o p e .

technological i n t e r v e n t i o n s , a process he calls "relational

Elevation.

T h e political use of lighting r e a c h e d its

architecture." Vectorial Elevation was initially p r o d u c e d as

h e i g h t w i t h t h e h u g e n i g h t t i m e events orchestrated by

p a r t o f t h e m i l l e n n i u m c e l e b r a t i o n s t a k i n g place in

architect Albert Speer for the Nazi regime. T h e most

M e x i c o City. Since t h e n it has b e e n presented in Vitoria

Leo Villareal, Star, Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, N.Y., 2003-04. Photos by Chris Baker

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

Leo Villareal, Superduster, P.S. I Contemporary Art Center, New York City, N.Y., 2004. Photo by Lilly Weng

(Spain), Lyon, and D u b l i n . O n t h e Vectorial Elevation

p r o v o k i n g fascinating reflections o n t h e c o m p l e x rela-

w e b page, individuals across the globe c o n f i g u r e striated

tionship b e t w e e n u r b a n space and cyberspace.

light structures using t h e i r c o m p u t e r m o u s e a n d k e y -

A l t h o u g h Vectorial Elevation may a p p e a r

b o a r d . O n c e c o m p l e t e d , the light p a t t e r n s are e x e c u t e d

to b e a mass spectacle reminiscent o f those d e s i g n e d by

in t h e airspace a b o v e t h e city w i t h p o w e r f u l x e n o n

Speer, it radically inverts t h e t e r m s o f t h o s e B a b y l o n i a n

searchlights. F r o m dusk to d a w n , these searchlights c o m b

e x t r a v a g a n z a s by o f f e r i n g t h e p u b l i c c o n t r o l o f t h e

the n i g h t air, resulting in o n e of t h e m o s t m e m o r a b l e

show.

public art pieces of r e c e n t years. T h e collective effort of

d i s t r i b u t e d p o w e r c r e a t e d by t h o u s a n d s o f I n t e r n e t

thousands of a u t h o r s p r o d u c e s a r h y t h m i c ballet of light,

users w h o c o n t r i b u t e t h e i r p e r s o n a l c o m p o s i t i o n t o t h e

\ '

Vectorial

Elevation

â&#x20AC;˘

antimonument

N1 ' / â&#x20AC;˘

X ' / 1 \

X P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

final p i e c e . It avoids t h e vision o f t h e I n t e r n e t as t h e

tasy. Likewise, Aria u n a p o l o g e t i c a l l y e m b r a c e s the l a n -

m a t e r i a l i z a t i o n o f an O r w e l l i a n B i g B r o t h e r . It also

guage of special effects, t u r n i n g the pedestrian into a spec-

raises f u n d a m e n t a l q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t h e i d e n t i t y of t h e

tator

individual in cyberspace, the relationship

between

c o m p u t e r a n i m a t i o n suggests flowing liquid e l e m e n t s .

u r b a n a n d e l e c t r o n i c space, a n d t h e r e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f

C o l o r f u l ribbons ripple like waves, short cylindrical fig-

t h e citizen as a social and political b e i n g o f t h e f u t u r e .

ures behave like salmon s w i m m i n g upstream, cirops cas-

P r o j e c t i o n of the digital realm o n t o p u b lic space is also f o u n d in J e n n i f e r S t e i n k a m p ' s

Aria.

of a h i g h l y

mediated

urban

experience. T h e

cade along the vast expanse of the canopy—all of this to the r h y t h m of J i m m y Johnson's electronic soundtrack. 4

C r e a t e d f o r t h e F r e m o n t E x p e r i e n c e C a n o p y in Las

Aria mirrors the city it was featured in:

Vegas, this piece ups the ante for artists w a n t i n g to engage

Las Vegas, e p i t o m e of n e o n signs and glittering facades. If

w i t h mass spectacle.The F r e m o n t E x p e r i e n c e is a n i n e t y -

architects learned f r o m Las Vegas in the 1970s, w h a t can

f o o t - h i g h , f o u r - b l o c k - l o n g electronic canopy created to

artists discover f r o m this city in t h e n e w m i l l e n n i u m ?

b r i n g life back to the old d o w n t o w n , w h i c h was upstaged

Steinkamp's i n t e r v e n t i o n is a significant e x a m p l e of an

by the n e w casinos lining the Strip. It is the largest electric

artist's desire to a b a n d o n the safe haven of the gallery and

dive i n t o a frenzied public space. S w i m m i n g t h r o u g h the

cert-quality sound. T h e m e d

this

strong currents of o n e of today's most highly charged and

u n u s u a l m e d i u m r a n g e f r o m hits of t h e disco era t o

spectacular public spaces—Las Vegas—puts t h e artist in

C h r i s t m a s specials. T h e y e m p l o y visuals that constantly

direct contact w i t h h o w the t w e n t y - f i r s t - c e n t u r y specta-

f r a g m e n t and reconfigure, creating a powerful if vacuous

tor's i d e n t i t y is b e i n g s h a p e d . Artistic i n t e r v e n t i o n s in

shows featured on

kaleidoscopic effect. S t e i n k a m p was invited by the City of

s u c h realms are necessary, yet f r a u g h t w i t h risks. T h e

Las Vegas Art C o m m i s s i o n to create her piece for the Fre-

biggest o n e is to lose agency and b e c o m e overshadowed

m o n t E x p e r i e n c e . T h e choice of the Los Angeles-based

by the aggressive commercialism of one's sponsors. But

n e w media artist c o u l d n o t have b e e n m o r e appropriate.

the potential gains are t o o i m p o r t a n t to be ignored. T h e

Influenced by 1960s d a n c e club light shows, D u c h a m p ' s

presence of art in shaping postindustrial u r b a n space can

rotoreliefs, a n d o t h e r o p - a r t e x p e r i m e n t s in sensory

only b r i n g subtlety a n d c o m p l e x i t y to an arena that is

i m m e r s i o n , S t e i n k a m p usually grafts b a r o q u e c o m p u t e r

desperately in n e e d of it. O n e hopes that such p o w e r f u l

g r a p h i c s o n t o gallery spaces. T h e abstract

m e d i a as t h e F r e m o n t C a n o p y c o n t i n u e to b e m a d e

computer

graphics of Aria were inspired, according to the artist, by Disney's

Fantasia

and

Douglas Trumball's

corridor

s e q u e n c e f r o m 2001: A Space Odyssey. T h e special effects in t h e s e l a n d m a r k films are o f t e n cited as particularly p o w e r f u l i n c o r p o r a t i o n s of the spectator in cinematic f a n -

available to artists in the future. LeoVillareal is a n o t h e r artist w h o is c r e a t i n g large-scale light pieces f o r u r b a n e n v i r o n m e n t s . Star is an e i g h t e e n - f o o t - d i a m e t e r sculpture w i t h t w e n t y f o u r illuminated spokes of light radiating f r o m the c e n ter and pulsing in a n i m a t e d patterns. S o m e t i m e s these patterns resemble swirling flowers, s o m e t i m e s e x p l o d i n g fireworks o r spiraling tunnels o f color. T h e w o r k plays w i t h b o t h spatial and t e m p o r a l d i m e n s i o n s as different parts o f t h e display are activated a n d s e q u e n c e s b u i l d over time. Star was p r e s e n t e d at the P r i n t e m p s de S e p t e m b r e Art Festival in Toulouse. T h e piece was recently reinstalled at the Socrates Sculpture Park in N e w York C i t y as p a r t o f t h e W i n t e r L i g h t P r o g r a m , an a n n u a l series of l i g h t - b a s e d pieces that can b e seen f r o m t h e

s u r r o u n d i n g areas over t h e w i n t e r m o n t h s . Stars

prox-

imity to water makes it l o o k like a navigational b e a c o n flashing cryptic messages over the waters of the G a r o n n e and the East R i v e r . Its r h y t h m i c patterns seem to convey an u n d e c i p h e r a b l e c o d e t h a t i n e v i t a b l y e n g a g e s t h e viewer. We n o t only try to u n d e r s t a n d the message b u t b e c o m e h y p n o t i z e d by its flashing presence as w e e n t e r a state of altered p e r c e p t i o n . Villareal himself has stated Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Body Movies, Relational Architecture 6, Liverpool, England. Photo by Lozano-Hemmer

h o w his projects b e c o m e "innovative c o n t a i n e r s for the further

5 understanding

â&#x20AC;&#x17E;

of interactive and

immersive

Steinkamp's Aria, a n d Leo Villareal's Supercluster

overlay

digital space o n t o u r b a n space. T h e y also a l l o w us t o e x p e r i e n c e digital representations in physical a n d sensual

experience.

ways, a p r o c e s s t h a t h e l p s us c o g n i t i v e l y Villareal is i n t e r e s t e d in p r o g r a m m i n g

life-like b e h a v i o r s i n t o his devices. T h i s e f f e c t was achieved in an earlier piece, Supercluster, presented o n the f a c a d e o f P.S.I C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t C e n t e r in Q u e e n s over the s u m m e r of 2003. C o m m i s s i o n e d to cover the scaffolding d u r i n g its c o n s t r u c t i o n , Supercluster blanketed t h e f a c a d e of t h e art c e n t e r w i t h strobe lights. T h e s e lights, placed o n a g r i d p a t t e r n , evoke a city m a p a n d

map

the

l a b y r i n t h i n e d i m e n s i o n s o f t h e e l e c t r o n i c realm. In this sense t h e y are representatives of a strand of n e w m e d i a art t h a t e x p l o r e s h a p t i c c o n n e c t i o n s t o t h e

image.

L o z a n o - H e m m e r , S t e i n k a m p , a n d Villareal p r e s e n t sign i f i c a n t e x a m p l e s o f h o w digital t e c h n o l o g i e s c a n b e i m p l e m e n t e d to h e l p us b e c o m e m o r e e n g a g e d citizens of t h e electronic era.

e c h o the s u r r o u n d i n g u r b a n e n v i r o n m e n t . As the light sequences travel a r o u n d the grid, they also elicit visions of a c o m p u t e r ' s interior m e c h a n i s m s or the brain's synaptic s p a r k s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t e e m i n g w i t h activity w h i l e processing u n d i s closed i n f o r m a t i o n . T r a i n e d as a sculptor b u t w i t h studies

Daniel Canogar is a visual artist and writer living in Madrid. His most recent book, Ingravidos (Fundacion Telefonica, Madrid, 2003), explores o u r collective desire to become weightless.

Notes

in interactive t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , Villareal i m b u e s his

1. Nye, David E. American Technologi-

3. Images of Vectorial Elevation can be

technological installations w i t h a physical presence sel-

cal Sublime. Cambridge, Mass.: M I T

found at http://www.alzado.net/

d o m f o u n d in n e w m e d i a art. In his w o r k facile readings

Press, 1994.

efotos.html.

give way to m o r e o p e n - e n d e d i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s that j o l t viewers b o t h perceptually and intellectually. L i g h t spectacles have played a c r u c i a l role in s h a p i n g t h e i d e n t i t y o f t h e m o d e r n

citizen.

If n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y s h o w s gave t a n g i b l e f o r m

2. Quoted in Buck-Morss, Susan.

4. A Quicktime movie of Aria can

The Dialectics of Seeing: Walter

be found at http://jsteinkamp.com/

Benjamin and the Arcades Project.

html/fremont.html.

Cambridge, Mass.: M I T Press, 1989, 309.

5.Villareal's artist statement at can be found at www.villareal.net.

i m p e r c e p t i b l e electrical energy, w e still feel a n e e d t o visually represent electronic energy, so difficult to grasp b e c a u s e o f its s l i p p e r y a n d i m p e n e t r a b l e m a t e r i a l i t y . Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's

Vectorial Elevation,

Jennifer

Night view of the C o u r t of Honor,World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893. Photo by G. Hunter Bortlett Courtesy Chicago Historical Society

LET THERE BE LIGHT

DAVID

EDGAR

All life o n earth is ultimately m a d e possible by s o m e f o r m of processed solar energy. Starting w i t h p h o t o s y n t h e s i s and up t h r o u g h t h e multilayered c h a i n o f conversions, all t h e way to t h e fossil fuels, o u r universe operates o n m u l t i p l e g e n e r a t i o n s of r e c o n f i g u r e d solar energy. F r o m S t o n e h e n g e , t o t h e E g y p t i a n t o m b s at A b u S i m b e l , t o A z t e c o b s e r v a t o r i e s a n d o t h e r N a t i v e A m e r i c a n solar c a l e n d a r devices, d e s i g n e r s o f m a j o r architectural structures have b e e n interested in t h e cycles o f solar g e o m e t r y . D u r i n g t h e M i d d l e Ages, sundials e x t e n d e d this tradition by using predictable geophysical m e c h a n ics related to the sun. Later, R e n a i s s a n c e artists e m p l o y e d a n o t h e r solar t e c h n o l o g y , t h e camera obscura, t o translate t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l landscapes a n d m o d e l s i n t o t w o - d i m e n sional r e n d e r i n g s . TWENTIETH-CENTURY LIGHT ART PIONEERS

In t h e latter half of t h e t w e n t i e t h century, a g r o u p of p i o n e e r s in t h e public art arena e m e r g e d to e x a m i n e and celebrate t h e p h e n o m e n o n of natural light. T h e generally r e c o g n i z e d patriarch o f this m o v e m e n t , C a l i f o r n i a - b a s e d artist J a m e s T u r rell, b e g a n to explore light in t h e 1960s and c o n t i n u e s to d o so in several p u b l i c v e n u e s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d , i n c l u d i n g California's San Francisco M u s e u m of M o d e r n A r t a n d t h e Panza di B i u m o C o l l e c t i o n inVarese, Italy. C u r r e n t l y living in A r i z o n a , T u r r e l l dedicates m u c h of his t i m e a n d e n e r g y to his w e l l - d o c u m e n t e d w o r k in progress at t h e R o d e n C r a t e r site near Flagstaff. A m o n u m e n t a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n of s u b t e r r a n e a n architectural vaults, sight lines, and apertures e n g i n e e r e d w i t h painstaking precision, Turrell s Roden

Crater w o r k

e n c o m p a s s e s a c o m p r e h e n s i v e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f optical p h e n o m e n a as t h e y relate t o celestial physics. T h e m a r r i a g e o f science a n d art d e m o n s t r a t e d in Turrell s m a s t e r w o r k is particularly i m p o r t a n t because o f its synergistic character. T h e p i e c e e m b o d i e s m u c h of w h a t is shared by all artists w h o are e x p l o r i n g extraplanetary light, optics, a n d energy. As o t h e r C a l i f o r n i a artists such as R o b e r t I r w i n , Larry Bell, a n d B r u c e N a u m a n j o i n e d Turrell in his p o s t w a r fascination w i t h light, t h e g r o u p ' s w o r k u l t i mately b e c a m e k n o w n as " C a l i f o r n i a space a n d l i g h t " art. Bell was o n e o f t h e first to e x p l o r e t h e optical characteristics o f various h i g h - t e c h coatings o n glass. Today, this minimalist vision seems passe, h a v i n g b e e n eclipsed in b o t h scale a n d banality by t h e

glass-box a r c h i t e c t u r e of t h e 1980s. C o n c u r r e n t l y w i t h t h e C a l i f o r n i a artists' w o r k w i t h space a n d light. M i d w e s t - b a s e d artist D a l e Eldred b e g a n to use sunlight-responsive d i f f r a c t i o n g r a t i n g film w i t h m i c r o e n g r a v e d reflective grooves. T h i s space-age m a t e r i a l separates light i n t o View of Roden Crater.

its v a r i o u s w a v e l e n g t h s , c r e a t i n g a p r i s m a t i c e f f e c t similar t o t h e r a i n b o w - c o l o r e d reflections seen 011 a c o m p a c t disc. S e r v i n g as c h a i r m a n of t h e S c u l p t u r e D e p a r t m e n t of

Peter Erskine, Alive, Lucy Curci C a n c e r Center, Rancho Mirage, Calif., 2004. Photo courtesy Peter Erskine

t h e Kansas C i t y Art I n s t i t u t e f r o m 1960 t o his u n t i m e l y a c c i d e n t a l d e a t h i n 1 9 9 3 , E l d r e d b o t h i n f l u e n c e d a n d v a l i d a t e d t h e g e n r e f o r artists w o r k i n g w i t h s u n l i g h t responsive materials. H e s e c u r e d n u m e r o u s p u b l i c art c o m m i s s i o n s , a n d his massive

Public Art R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

Rein T r i e f e l d t , SolarOne, 2 0 0 2 P h o t o by Ricardo Barros

ing o p t i m i s m and w e l l - b e i n g t h r o u g h projects that feature s h i m m e r i n g designs devoid of any direct narrative

solar-sculpture installations are e x h i b i t e d in institutions

content. Using computer

technology

and

complex

w o r l d w i d e , i n c l u d i n g t h e N e l s o n - A t k i n s M u s e u m in

m a t h e m a t i c s and g e o m e t r y , s o m e of King's m o r e recent

Kansas City, the L a u m e i e r Sculpture Park in Saint Louis,

w o r k s b e h a v e as o p t i c a l lenses that coalesce r e f l e c t e d

t h e P h o e n i x A r t M u s e u m , the Santa Barbara M u s e u m of

sunlight. O n e such piece in progress uses dichroic glass

Art, t h e H e l s i n k i C i t y Art M u s e u m , a n d t h e C a n k a y a

to reflect a n d focus o r a n g e light o n t o the side of a school

C u l t u r a l and Arts F o u n d a t i o n in Ankara, T u r k e y

in A n c h o r a g e , Alaska. A n o t h e r e x a m p l e of King's w o r k that

THE S E C O N D WAVE

W h i l e an elite g r o u p of artists h a d the

refracts sunlight is ChromOculus,

w h i c h is p o s i t i o n e d o n

the g r a n d piazza of the Bella Vista w i n e r y in Erbusco,

privilege of w o r k i n g w i t h n e w l y d e v e l o p e d light-sensi-

Italy. C r e a t e d f o r t h e T h i r d M i l l e n n i u m

tive materials in the early years, t h e solar-based public

S c u l p t u r e Award c o m p e t i t i o n , w h i c h is s p o n s o r e d by

International

artists of the late t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y c a m e f r o m a b r o a d e r

V i t t o r i o M o r e t t i and G r u p p o Terra M o r e t t i , this 2 0 0 1

base that e n c o m p a s s e d b o t h t h e aesthetic a n d narrative

installation has a light-responsive lens f o r m a t c o m p r i s i n g

aspects of t h e discipline. D i c h r o i c glass, yet a n o t h e r type

m o r e than 100 h a n d - c u t glass facets c o n f i g u r e d o n t o an

of light-reactive, f i l m - c o a t e d glass, also e n t e r e d the lexi-

elliptical tensile structure of stainless-steel tubes, cables,

c o n o f p u b l i c art in t h e 1980s. T h i s versatile m a t e r i a l

and fittings. Each individual glass facet has a thin layer of

transmits o r filters o n e s e g m e n t of t h e s p e c t r u m w h i l e

l a s e r - e t c h e d film, l a m i n a t e d b e t w e e n t w o glass panes,

reflecting t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g c o m p l i m e n t a r y color; it is

that interacts w i t h rays of light, either natural or artifi-

equally active w i t h solar and artificial light.

cial, t o t r a n s f o r m the p u r e light i n t o a s p e c t r u m of b r i l -

U s i n g a c o m p u t e r to design d i g i t i z e d

liant color. T h e prismatic refractions c h a n g e d e p e n d i n g

images for his m o d e l s , Philadelphia-based sculptor R a y

o n the weather, the t i m e of day, t h e passing of t h e sea-

K i n g c r e a t e s f u t u r i s t i c glass a n d steel s c u l p t u r e s t h a t

sons, and the o r i e n t a t i o n of the viewer. "ChromOculus

interact w i t h light. His use of dichroic glass and h o l o -

o n e of a c o n t i n u i n g series of c h r o m a t i c sculptures that

g r a p h i c film creates r a i n b o w s that shift as t h e sun moves

interact w i t h and f o r m a visual conversation w i t h o u r

a l o n g its daily c o u r s e . A l t h o u g h K i n g has f a s h i o n e d

larger universe," K i n g explains. " I t faces t h e s o u t h e r n

d o o r s a n d walls that use cast glass sheets w i t h literary

m e r i d i a n of the sun to c a p t u r e a n d disperse t h e sun's

graphic elements, t h e artist is also k n o w n for e n g e n d e r -

refractions as it changes t h r o u g h the seasons."

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

A r t w o r k s based o n

sunlight-reactive

m a t e r i a l are o n l y o n e o f several stylistically

themed

creates a b a c k g r o u n d against w h i c h v i e w e r s see t h e i r o w n silhouettes m o d u l a t e d by t h e waters below.

series in King's p o r t f o l i o . T h e y have b e e n particularly

Back on the West Coast, California

well received in recent years for public c o m m i s s i o n s in

c o n t i n u e s t o b e fertile e n v i r o n m e n t f o r artists w o r k i n g

g o v e r n m e n t a l a n d educational settings. K i n g designs his

w i t h t h e solar e l e m e n t . Peter E r s k i n e , k n o w n as " M r .

proposals contextually, emphasizing the

relationship

b e t w e e n c o m p o s i t i o n a l e l e m e n t s and t h e mission of a

Sunshine," explores the way prismatically

processed

s u n l i g h t falls o n m o d u l a t e d surfaces. B a s e d in Venice,

s p o n s o r i n g organization. Nevertheless, m o s t of the n a r -

C a l i f o r n i a , t h e s c u l p t o r is c r e d i t e d w i t h i n v e n t i n g a

rative potential of these w o r k s is eclipsed by t h e b e g u i l -

u n i q u e interactive solar s p e c t r u m art m e d i u m . In 1992,

ing and dazzling aesthetic i n h e r e n t in the j e w e l - t o n e d

h e p r e m i e r e d Secrets of the Sun: Millennial

s p e c t r u m of colors that results f r o m the refracted s u n -

site-specific w o r k at Trajan's M a r k e t in R o m e . Visitors

Meditations,

l i g h t . T h e overall effect is a m a r r i a g e of pristine craft a n d

w e r e asked t o w e a r w h i t e p a p e r j u m p s u i t s so that as t h e y

imaginative use of technologically sophisticated m a t e r i -

m o v e d a r o u n d t h e space, light was p r o j e c t e d o n t o t h e i r

als in structural installations.

apparel, i n c o r p o r a t i n g t h e i r i m a g e i n t o t h e a r t w o r k . In

D u t c h artist J o o s t van Santen uses light-

o r d e r to d r a w a t t e n t i o n to o z o n e d e p l e t i o n a n d p o t e n t i a l

filtering materials to integrate light art in architectural

solar r a d i a t i o n d a m a g e , v i s i t o r s w e r e asked t o sign a

settings. T h r o u g h f u n d i n g p r o v i d e d by p e r c e n t - f o r - a r t

d a m a g e w a i v e r a n d a c c e p t t h a t t h e special p a p e r suits

legislation in t h e N e t h e r l a n d s , van S a n t e n has s e c u r e d

w e r e "protective."

c o m m i s s i o n s b o t h for n e w c o n s t r u c t i o n and r e n o v a t i o n

M o r e recently, E r s k i n e received a c o m -

projects. T h e application of c o l o r t h e o r y in van Santen's

mission to create t w o separate installations at t h e E i s e n -

w o r k i m p a r t s an a t m o s p h e r i c quality to t h e b u i l d i n g s

h o w e r M e d i c a l C e n t e r ' s L u c y C u r c i C a n c e r C e n t e r in

and spaces h e designs. By e m p h a s i z i n g a b r o a d saturation

R a n c h o M i r a g e , C a l i f o r n i a . Alive

a n d Solar

Spectrum

of sunlight-filtered color for interiors in his designs, van

Shades Structures d r a w o n t h e n o t i o n that r a i n b o w s have

Santen comprehensively influences the

environment

h e a l i n g a n d restorative p r o p e r t i e s . E r s k i n e invokes t h e

rather t h a n settling for architectural e m b e l l i s h m e n t . F u r -

w o r d s of N o b e l Laureate D r . J o n a s S a l k : " T h e r a i n b o w is

t h e r m o r e , his w o r k projects a sense of c a p t u r e d e n e r g y

a v e r y d e e p m e m o r y f o r h u m a n b e i n g s . It has b e e n

w h e n the internally lit spaces are v i e w e d f r o m t h e o u t -

c o d e d i n t o o u r g e n e t i c m a t e r i a l f o r m i l l i o n s o f years.

side at night.

S e e i n g a r a i n b o w restores o u r c o n n e c t i o n to n a t u r e â&#x20AC;&#x201D; i t A m o r e f u n d a m e n t a l g e n r e of a r t w o r k

restores o u r physical and psychic f u n c t i o n s . "

exemplifies the m e c h a n i c s of daylight by e x t e n d i n g t h e

P o i n t i n g o u t t h a t "solar e n e r g y is t h e

p r i n c i p l e o f t h e s u n d i a l , an a n c i e n t t o o l . N e w Y o r k

source o f all life o n earth," Erskine says his use of s u n -

sculptor R o b e r t A d z e m a has effectively staked o u t this

light is e v i d e n t in every aspect o f his w o r k . N o t o n l y is

t e r r i t o r y for over t w e n t y years w i t h large-scale f a b r i -

sunlight t h e subject of his art, it is also t h e m a t e r i a l f r o m

cated interpretations of s h a d o w - c a s t i n g clocks and cal-

w h i c h it is m a d e . E v e n t h e heliostat trackers that sustain

e n d a r s . A d z e m a ' s 2 0 0 2 w a t e r f r o n t i n s t a l l a t i o n o f an

t h e p r o p e r o r i e n t a t i o n o f his e q u i p m e n t t o t h e sun are

elegant t w e l v e - f o o t stainless-steel m e c h a n i s m w i t h i n a

p o w e r e d by p h o t o v o l t a i c t e c h n o l o g y . A n d E r s k i n e revels

f o r t y - f o o t compass rose plaza

in t h e o b s e r v a t i o n that " e v e n t h e viewers of m y art are

is located at t h e H y a t t -

Jersey C i t y R e g e n c y H o t e l in N e w Jersey. T h e p r o j e c t

ultimately solar p o w e r e d as well."

sundial ele-

Solar cells are b e c o m i n g p o p u l a r w i t h

m e n t s t o g e t h e r w i t h a s u n l i g h t a p e r t u r e t h a t casts a

artists s e e k i n g t o i n t e g r a t e s e l f - c o n t a i n e d l i g h t i n g o r

b e a m of light o n t o an a n a l e m m a g r i d plate, i n d i c a t i n g

on-board power for m o v e m e n t and propulsion. By

the calendar date at n o o n each day.

c o n v e r t i n g daylight to p o w e r t h a t p r o v i d e s n i g h t t i m e

includes both horizontal and equatorial

shadow-

i l l u m i n a t i o n , science provides art a n d design w i t h p h o -

casting p r o p e r t y o f daylight i n fairly s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d

tovoltaic t e c h n o l o g y as a practical s o u r c e o f r e n e w a b l e

ways, A s i a n - A m e r i c a n artist Carl C h e n g moves b e y o n d

e n e r g y for r e m o t e l y sited artworks, e n a b l i n g an i n n o v a -

W h i l e Adzema exploits the

literalism in favor of a m o r e subjective use of i m a g e -

tive p u b l i c art f o r m . As s o l a r - p o w e r e d p r o d u c t s h a v e

casting p h e n o m e n a in his 2 0 0 1 Shadow Garden a n d Com-

b e c o m e m o r e c o m m o n , it was o n l y a m a t t e r o f t i m e

munity

Island Pond at Pier 11 in M a n h a t t a n . Visitors to

b e f o r e t h e e m e r g e n c e of p h o t o k i n e t i c art. O n e m o d e s t

C h e n g ' s installation can v i e w t h e i r o w n images in t h e

e x a m p l e finds N e w E n g l a n d - b a s e d artist G r e g o r y C u r c i

surface of a t i d e - p o o l - l i k e r e f l e c t i n g p o n d , fed by t h e

using solar e n e r g y t o c h a r g e t h e o n - b o a r d batteries f o r

rise a n d fall o f t h e East R i v e r . S u s p e n d e d over t h e

his Solar Train Clock s c u l p t u r e at t h e G r e e n f i e l d E n e r g y

water's reflecting surface, a c a n o p y g r i d of facial images

P a r k in G r e e n f i e l d , M a s s a c h u s e t t s . A p r o j e c t o f t h e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

N o r t h e a s t Sustainable E n e r g y Association, Curci's w o r k is like a t w e n t y - f i r s t - c e n t u r y g l o c k e n s p i e l w i t h solar cells, h i d d e n in a coal car, that p o w e r carved historical figures as t h e y p o p u p every h o u r 011 railroad coaches in a vintage-train-inspired composition. N e w Jersey artist R e i n Triefeldt is m o r e

C o m b i n i n g photovoltaic power with

direct in his use of a t u r b i n e - l i k e assembly of solar cells

o n - b o a r d c o m p u t e r technology, a n o t h e r Massachusetts

that p r o v i d e p o w e r f o r radial spokes r o t a t i n g a r o u n d a

artist, R e m o C a m p o p i a n o , is d e v e l o p i n g a fleet of ten

vertical axis. His sculpture Solar was recently included in

t h i r t y - s i x - i n c h elliptical s u r f a c e - s w i m m i n g C y b e r n e t i c

the Art in M o t i o n biennial exhibition at Bos v a n Y p e i j ,

W a t e r B u g s for a 2 0 0 4 seasonal installation at the C o n -

Tytsjerk, T h e N e t h e r l a n d s . Triefeldt, w h o teaches at the

v e r g e n c e A r t s Festival in P r o v i d e n c e , R h o d e

Island.

C o l l e g e of N e w Jersey, says he is " d e v e l o p i n g t h e c o n c e p t

C a m p o p i a n o ' s installation, p r o g r a m m e d to travel in a

that solar p o w e r e d public sculptures can actually pay for

flocking

t h e m s e l v e s over t i m e . By u s i n g e x i s t i n g state g o v e r n -

r e s p o n d i n g t o visitors h a i l i n g t h e m f r o m s h o r e . W i t h

m e n t s ' solar p o w e r f e e d - i n laws, t h e excess electricity

over f o u r square feet of solar cells, each of the W a t e r -

g e n e r a t e d by a s o l a r - p o w e r e d sculpture c o u l d generate

Bug's e x t e r i o r shells will generate e n o u g h electricity to

revenue that w o u l d defray the cost of construction." 6

s u p p o r t o n - b o a r d digital t e c h n o l o g y , n a v i g a t i o n , a n d

f o r m a t i o n , will b e interactive, w i t h t h e pieces

(above) Carl Cheng. Shadow Garden, New York City, N.Y., 2001. Photo courtesy Carl Cheng (above r i g h t ) Ray King, ChromOculus, Erbusco, Italy, 2002. Photo courtesy Ray King (below) Dale Eldred, Sun Field, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Saint Louis, Moâ&#x20AC;&#x17E; 1991. Photo by Ray Marklin ( b e l o w r i g h t ) Remo Campopiano, Cybernetic WaterBug, 2004. Photo courtesy Remo Campopiano

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

(left) Carl Cheng, Community Island, N e w York City, N.Y., 2001. Photo courtesy Carl Cheng (below) A series of five sculptures are located at traffic roundabouts. Sunlight projects images inside the sculptures.These images change continuously depending on the season and the time of day. JoostVan Santen, Veldhoven: Landmark Sculptures, steel and glass,Veldhoven,The Netherland, 1998. Photo courtesy JoostVan Santen

propulsion systems.The artist also envisions voice recognition and i n t e g r a t e d a u d i o f o r a u d i e n c e - W a t e r B u g dialogues in the near future. Like the f i f t e e n t h - and s i x t e e n t h - c e n tury Renaissance artists before t h e m , t w e n t y - f i r s t - c e n tury

artists

that

engage

sunlight-oriented

and

s o l a r - e n g i n e e r e d a r t w o r k s are b e c o m i n g increasingly " a m b i - h e m i s p h e r i c " in their approach to m a r r y i n g art and design with science and technology. Certainly the field is significantly broader than the scope of this brief survey, w i t h many deserving talents available for reader's f u r t h e r exploration.

David Edgar is a sculptor and associate professor of art at U N C Charlotte, where he directs the Master of Arts in Arts Administration program.

Notes 1. Personal communication, 12

angled hemispherical frame with

December 2003.

markings for the hours on the concave surface of the equatorial

2. A compass rose is the star-like

element and a rod through the

radial pattern indicating the

polar axis that serves as the shadow-

thirty-two directional points of

casting component.

the compass. 4. Public remarks, January 1995. 3. A horizontal sundial is the typical

Quoted in a project proposal pro-

garden sundial comprising a flat

vided by Peter Erskine.

horizontal plate with markings for the hour and a perpendicular trian-

5. Personal communication, 21

gular element called a gnomon,

November 2003.

from which the sun's shadow is cast onto the marked horizontal plate

6. Personal communication, 8

below. An equatorial sundial is an

January 2004. P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

ILLUSTRATED BURNING MAN

Louis

BRILL

B u r n i n g M a n is a f o u r t e e n - y e a r old annual desert celebration held as an e x p e r i m e n t in social c o m m u n i t y and an o p e n - i n v i t a t i o n o u t d o o r art installation g a t h e r ing. LadyBee, art curator of B u r n i n g M a n , describes its i n v o l v e m e n t w i t h art as "a n e w k i n d o f A m e r i c a n a r t - m a k i n g t h a t is c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d a n d i n t e r a c t i v e . It seeks t o r e m o v e the artist f r o m the w o r l d of c o m m e r c e and c o m p e t i t i o n , e m p h a s i z i n g instead collaboration, c o o p e r a t i o n , and shared e x p e r i e n c e . " O f the m a n y art m e d i a at B u r n i n g M a n , light sculptures have e m e r g e d as a distinctive f o r m a t w i t h n e o n , incandescent light, lasers, and L E D installations. B u r n ing Man's appeal for such large-scale lighting projects is in p r o v i d i n g artistic o p p o r t u n i ties that m i g h t n o t b e possible in u r b a n gallery settings. LadyBee has n o t e d that "light sculpture has b e c o m e a g e n r e u n t o itself at B u r n i n g M a n w i t h t h e availability of L E D s and lasersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and artists w i t h the skills necessary to create a n d control this k i n d o f art." NEON: THE FIRST ART LIGHT

N e o n lighting was t h e first type of light art to appear at B u r n i n g M a n . T h e Burning Man sculpture is n o t only a b e a c o n by day w i t h its d o m i n a t i n g physical presence b u t by n i g h t as well because it is c o m p l e t e l y covered in a n e o n e x o s k e l e t o n that highlights its presence in a g l o w i n g outline. T h e n e o n lighting o n Burning Man is b o t h inspirational and f u n c t i o n a l . T h e Burning Man sculpture is a figure of awe as it stands over the e n c a m p m e n t and a practical aid to navigation by serving as a reference p o i n t . W h e n the desert darkness blankets everything, an illuminated Burning Man helps p e o p l e f i n d their way a r o u n d Black R o c k C i t y at night. S o m e of Burning Mans

loveliest m o m e n t s

are w h e n its n e o n glow contrasts t h e g o l d e n skies of sunrise or dusk. T h e n e o n lighting of the M a n b e g a n in 1991 and was originally c o n ceived by J o h n Law, a n e o n artist a n d early e v e n t p r o d u c e r o f B u r n i n g M a n . Law's e m b r a c i n g design accented the figure's skeletal structure and b e c a m e an artistic b r i d g e b e t w e e n natural and spiritual illumination. W i t h the n e o n structure in place, t h e n e x t step was selecting the p r o p e r color. " U l t i m a t e l y w e decided o n a

fluorescent-blue

color,"

said Law, "that w o u l d integrate the Burning Alan's n e o n radiance w i t h t h e o v e r p o w e r i n g expanse of the sky that hovers over the desert and w o u l d represent the spiritual essence of the M a n . " O r g a n i z e r Larry Harvey sees its blue radiance as a special light that makes it appear as if t h e sky is coursing like a b l o o d stream t h r o u g h a giant's body. For H a r v e y t h e lighting is a radiance that evokes a sense of t h e h u m a n spirit, an effect d e p i c t e d in s o m e religious p a i n t i n g s . T h e n e o n color has varied over the y e a r s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; f r o m blue to g r e e n to yellow and purple. T h e n e o n n o w covers b o t h Burning Mail's f r o n t and back, a n d w i t h its e x p a n d e d height it can be seen a n y w h e r e in t h e five square miles o f Black R o c k City.

B E A M I N G MAN, 2000 The first neon Burning Man.

To d e f i n e B u r n i n g Man's 2 0 0 0 t h e m e . T h e Body, laser artist Russell

Larry Harvey, 199S.

Wilcox used laser beams to create Beaming Man, an outline of the h u m a n b o d y and an

Photo by Scott Beale

iconic representation of the B u r n i n g M a n logo. T h i s aerial laser sculpture was created w i t h

Public Art R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

Burning Man is one of the largest o u t d o o r art installation activity centers in N o r t h America.The event was originally created by Larry Harvey and Jerry James,

a technically sophisticated process that enabled the B u r n ing M a n icon to be displayed in a o n e - m i l e space along

both of San Francisco, w h o built the first Burning Man

the playa. T h e lasers were h o u s e d in enclosures on the

sculpture (a w o o d e n structure in the shape of a

g r o u n d a n d p r o j e c t e d to t h i r t y feet using m i r r o r s in a

human figure) in 1986.The San Francisco event was

periscope arrangement. With two five-watt and

transformed in 1990, when it moved t o a Nevada desert location and became a participatory celebration of experimental community development. A decade later the annual celebration is now spon-

t h r e e - w a t t YAG (green) laser and optics, a b e a m diameter of a b o u t t w o inches was maintained over its 4,000 feet of arms and legs. Each of t h e t h r e e lasers was split i n t o

sored by Burning Man LLC, an organization that hosts and manages Burning Man, held in Nevada every Labor Day weekend.The event is presented in the Black Rock desert, a prehistoric lake bed known as a

one

t w o beams. O n each side, a laser created an a r m and a leg, o r i g i n a t i n g f r o m a laser source t o w e r at t h e waist, and

playa (Spanish for "dried beach")â&#x20AC;&#x201D;an arid, empty flat-

absorbed at the hands and feet. A laser source at the top

land devoid of hills, trees, animals, and shrubbery.The

of the head split i n t o t w o beams that reflected off mirrors

desert encompasses 400 square miles and is the sec-

at the ears, and b o t h were subsequently absorbed at the

ond largest and flattest piece of land in the United States (the first being the Salt Lake flats).

chin, f o r m i n g the f o u r - s i d e d head. By virtue of the desert dust naturally stirred into the air, the project was easily

Amidst this barren landscape, Burning Man arises each year w i t h its encampment, Black Rock City, a temporary haven in the desert for attendees w h o come for

v i e w e d at n i g h t as a l o n g , g r e e n , c o n t i n u o u s line r e p r e senting s o m e partial b o d y s e g m e n t of the M a n . O f i n t e r e s t in this p r o j e c t was t h e

a week-long series of celebrations, parties, and art explorations. In 2003, some 30,000 people attended, most f r o m all over the United States and the remainder f r o m Europe and Japan.The event is participant-

c o n c e p t u a l leap required in envisioning the final lit f o r m . Because of the e n o r m o u s scope of this installation, w i t h

driven, and many w h o attend do so as artists w i t h

its laser b e a m s s h o o t i n g f r o m light tower to light tower, it

thought-provoking installations incorporating themed

was impossible to see the total presence of Beaming

art pavilions, sculpture, lighting, fire, and all kinds of

D e p e n d i n g o n one's position, o n e c o u l d only see b o d y

participatory art. Each year Larry Harvey declares a theme t o challenge artists and the participating community. Although artists are not required t o use the theme as a reference, many do. Recent event themes have included

Man.

s e g m e n t s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a n o u t l i n e of a partial a r m or leg. T h e only practical way to see t h e entire light sculpture w o u l d have b e e n f r o m a l o w - f l y i n g airplane. Because m o s t viewers did n o t have this o p p o r t u n i t y to e x p e r i e n c e the totality

The Body (2000),The Seven Ages of Man (2001),The

of Beaming Man, " s e e i n g " the b e a m sculpture required a

Floating W o r l d (2002), and Beyond Belief (2003).

leap of i m a g i n a t i o n regarding w h a t it was supposed to be.

General i n f o r m a t i o n : w w w . b u r n i n g m a n . c o m LILY POND

For B u r n i n g M a n 2 0 0 1 ( T h e Floating World), light artist J e r e m y Lutes created The Lily Pond, an installation t h a t e m b o d i e d e a r t h , air, a n d w a t e r in its Burning Man 2003. Photo courtesy Steven Fritz

d e p i c t i o n of a v i b r a n t aquatic e n v i r o n m e n t . T h e p o n d was m a d e u p of 300 life-size c o p p e r lily pads floating at a b o u t k n e e h e i g h t above the playa. By n i g h t , the pads illuminated the g r o u n d b e n e a t h t h e m . As p e o p l e m o v e d a b o u t w i t h i n t h e p o n d , t h e i r m o t i o n s caused ripples, undulations, and color shifts in the b l u e - g r e e n light cast u p o n t h e g r o u n d â&#x20AC;&#x201D; i n effect, simulating t h e m o t i o n of waves on water. In creating this aquatic landscape, Lutes utilized LEDs as illuminating flora b u t also p o p u l a t e d it w i t h o t h e r p o n d life. S o m e of the lily pads also sported h a n d - b l o w n glass lotus flowers that glowed and c h a n g e d color. B e n e a t h the pads, a d o z e n or so porcelain koi (a type of fish) lurked, also g l o w i n g softly, and o n s o m e of the lily pads sat wire dragonflies, their f i b e r - o p t i c wings flickering

in the night. B o t h the koi and dragonflies were

responsive t o activity in t h e p o n d : T o o m u c h activity

Jeremy Lutes, The Lily Pond, Burning Man 2001. Photo b y T i m T i m m e r m a n s

l o o k i n g at the L E D source light. S o m e v i e w e d t h e light t r a n s m i t t i n g t h r o u g h its transparent walls, o t h e r s c o u l d see t h e light r e f l e c t i n g t h r o u g h several o f t h e plastic sheets. T h o s e w h o stood away c o u l d see f r o m a distance h o w all its colors b l e n d e d together." McCormick

reflected on what

learned from the installation: " T h e original

they Shadow

Engine never lived u p to its t r u e potential b e c a u s e of t h e caused the fish to go dark or the dragonflies to appear

failure o f t h e p h o t o sensors. Since t h e n I have c o n c e p t u -

very frenetic.

alized o t h e r ways to achieve interactive lighting, i n c l u d The Lily Pond's g r e a t e s t e f f e c t was its

ing using a standard v i d e o c a m e r a to create f e e d b a c k to

subtle f l i c k e r i n g i l l u m i n a t e d wash of light against t h e

activate t h e L E D wall. F e e d b a c k is a great m e c h a n i s m t o

playa surface. As o n e walked a m o n g t h e lilies, there was

represent interactivity, a n d w h e n p r o p e r l y u s e d w i t h i n

a gradual i m m e r s i o n in a d r e a m state of l a p p i n g b l u e -

an a r t w o r k , the results are i m m e d i a t e , a l l o w i n g t h e p a r -

green p o n d waters u n d e r a c a n o p y of stars in the m i d d l e

ticipants t o i m m e d i a t e l y see the results o f t h e i r activities.

of n o w h e r e .

O n e of t h e s u r p r i s i n g things a b o u t this version o f The Shadow LIGHT SHADOW GAMES

The Shadow Engine (also s h o w n at B u r n i n g M a n 2001) was a n o t h e r interactive L E D s c u l p t u r e

Engine was, in talking t o p e o p l e w h o e n c o u n -

tered it o u t at B u r n i n g M a n , a m a j o r i t y of t h e m said it r e m i n d e d t h e m o f t h e i r c h i l d h o o d , w h e n as kids t h e y played w i t h ' L i t e - B r i t e ' toys."

w h o s e original design was to use participants' shadows to create its final lighting effect. Built by Carl G r u e s z and Kevin M c C o r m i c k , it was essentially a hallway w i t h light

LASER CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE WATER OF LIFE

In 2 0 0 2 , t h e B u r n i n g M a n t h e m e was

sensors on o n e wall and LEDs o n the other. T h e sensors

T h e Floating W o r l d , " n a v i g a t i n g t h r o u g h t h e waters of

w e r e to " r e f l e c t " the interplay of visitors' shadows and

life." Laser artist Sean L a m o n t collected sixty l o w - p o w -

change the way the o u t e r L E D light wall behaved.

ered h e l i u m - n e o n lasers to create Light Wave, w h i c h h e

O n c e The Shadow

Engine was b r o u g h t

described as an interface b e t w e e n light a n d life: " Y o u are

o u t to the desert, several p r o b l e m s developed. " T h e L E D

afloat o n a sea of light and s o u n d . You float, y o u sway, y o u

wall w o r k e d just fine," said M c C o r m i c k , " b u t there were

are lost o n t h e w i l d sea. S u d d e n l y y o u see an island,

problems w i t h the p h o t o sensors o u t o n site and w e were

lapped u p o n by wavesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;waves of light, waves o f s o u n d ,

never able to set it u p as i n t e n d e d . We did, however, over-

a n d t h e collective b r a i n waves of a h u n d r e d c o n s c i o u s

c o m e most of these obstacles and got the L E D part to

minds. As y o u interact, y o u r waves b e c o m e t h e s o u n d ,

w o r k . As p e o p l e discovered The Shadow Engine, they were

b e c o m e the light, and b e c o m e t h e eternal sea."

able to walk u p to it a n d interact w i t h it a n d see t h e

Light Wave was an i n t e r a c t i v e m u s i c a l

result of that participation. O n c e it was t u r n e d o n , p e o p l e

i n s t r u m e n t consisting of a s e v e n - f o o t cubical a l u m i n u m

w o u l d c o m e u p to it and discover the different ways of

f r a m e c o n t a i n i n g sixty l o w - w a t t a g e (class Ilia) lasers. As t h e b e a m s w e r e b r o k e n b y v i s i t o r s ' a c t i o n s , a

Russell Wilcox, Beaming Man, Burning Man 2000. Photo byAI Wildley

l i g h t / s o u n d s c a p e was created, its h a r m o n i e s g e n e r a t e d by

p a r t i c i p a n t s . " M y goal was t o have an i n s t r u m e n t that

T h e Floating World), and

would

Beyond Belief).

have pleasant m u s i c a l relations b e t w e e n

the

notes," said L a m o n t .

In 2 0 0 1

The

Illuminomicon

(2003,

Radiant Atmosphere's

light

Light Wave was started in 2 0 0 0 a n d was

installation, based on the Seven Ages t h e m e , was installed

c o m p l e t e d f o r B u r n i n g M a n in 2 0 0 2 . T h e original v e r -

as "a wakeful state b e y o n d the physical." It was visualized,

sion, as d e s c r i b e d by L a m o n t , " w a s built o u t of w o o d ,

in the words of David Able of R a d i a n t Atmospheres, as "a

w h i c h was a mistake b e c a u s e o f t h e arid climate of the

t u n n e l of light that presented c o l u m n s of c h a n g i n g color

d e s e r t a n d its v a r i o u s t e m p e r a t u r e f l u c t u a t i o n s . T h i s

that were cast towards the heavens. B u r n i n g M a n viewers

caused t h e h a r p f r a m e to w a r p at certain times, causing

w h o e n c o u n t e r e d The Afterlife c o u l d gaze i n t o its radi-

a m i s a l i g n m e n t o f t h e i n s t r u m e n t . T h a t p r o b l e m was

ance and reap the rewards of infinite light and life."

solved by r e b u i l d i n g t h e f r a m e o u t of metal."

The Afterlife used over 4 0 , 0 0 0 watts of

T h e essence of Light Wave was its i n t e r activity. As L a m o n t n o t e d ,

lighting p o w e r and s o m e sixty fixtures i n c l u d i n g s p o t lights, wash lights, p a t t e r n a n d effects p r o j e c t o r s , slide

Originally, Light Wave was built as an e i g h t -

p r o j e c t o r s , strobes, i n t e l l i g e n t lights, a n d c o l o r c h a n g -

n o t e scale i n s t r u m e n t a n d a l i g n e d like t h e

e r s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; c o m b i n e d to create a s t u n n i n g immersive e n v i r o n -

w h i t e keys o n a piano. W h a t I f o u n d was that

m e n t . All l i g h t i n g was c o n t r o l l e d f r o m a c o m p u t e r

p e o p l e w h o w e r e m u s i c i a n s really g o t i n t o

r u n n i n g D M X s e q u e n c i n g software and p o w e r e d by an

Light Wave because they c o u l d figure o u t h o w

eighty-kilowatt generator. To s u p p o r t this collection of

to play it as a musical i n s t r u m e n t . People w h o

light fixtures, a m a i n o c t a g o n a l s t r u c t u r e of t w o - i n c h

w e r e n ' t m u s i c i a n s w o u l d try t o play simple

steel pipe was built that was approximately ten feet high

things like C h o p Sticks.To m a k e it m o r e chal-

and thirty feet across. H u n g w i t h i n its f i f t e e n - f o o t central

lenging, 1 rearranged the p l a c e m e n t of all the

tower was an e v e r - c h a n g i n g array of beams and special

notes and f o u n d that musicians were still able

effects that e x p l o d e d i n t o the sky, across h u n d r e d s of feet

to w o r k o u t a keyboard a r r a n g e m e n t to get

of desert floor, and o n t o and t h r o u g h the canvas of h o w l -

s o m e k i n d of music o u t of it. Interestingly, I

ing dust r u s h i n g above the installation.

o b s e r v e d that m u s i c - m i n d e d p e o p l e t e n d e d

D e a t h is o f t e n d e s c r i b e d as a j o u r n e y

to be m o r e collaborative, w h e r e s o m e b o d y

that begins in a path of light, lifting the soul to a h i g h e r

w o u l d create a r h y t h m i c bass line o n o n e side,

plane. The Afterlife

a n d o n the o t h e r side a n o t h e r p e r s o n w o u l d

b e a m of light t h a t s e e m i n g l y i l l u m i n a t e d t h e n e t h e r

have s o m e k i n d of m e l o d i c

r e g i o n w h e r e n e w l y liberated souls gather for t h e n e x t

counterpoint

going. Nonmusicians interacted with

Light

in its blaze of radiance p o r t r a y e d a

stage of their k a r m i c cycle.

Wave in a m o r e visceral way, creating s o m e thing that which

I call " s e m i - h a r m o n i c

chaos,"

were various audio collections

BURNING MAN FINALE

O f all t h e light installations that grace

s o u n d s c a p e s . T h e r e w e r e even t i m e s w h e n

the playa each year, the most inspiring illumination is the

s o m e t h i n g akin to structured music c a m e o u t

finale of B u r n i n g M a n , w h e n the n e o n - l i t sculpture is

of Light Wave.

ignited and its b o d y and raised arms are suddenly c o n -

Since B u r n i n g M a n 2002, Light Wave has

s u m e d by fire and the rockets' red glare. As B u r n i n g M a n

had a f u r t h e r life. In 2 0 0 3 it was b r o u g h t to several o t h e r

instantiates its n a m e in a baptism of fire, the sky above is

cultural f u n c t i o n s and was last seen at a rock and roll c o n -

p a i n t e d in f l i c k e r i n g light as B u r n i n g M a n ' s g l o w i n g

cert at the Bill G r a h a m C o n c e r t Hall in San Francisco.

spirit begins its final j o u r n e y u n t o the heavens above.You just have to be there!

RADIANT INCANDESCENCE

R a d i a n t A t m o s p h e r e s , f r o m San F r a n -

Louis M. Brill is a journalist and consultant for high-tech e n t e r t a i n m e n t and

cisco, is a g r o u p of light artists and technicians w h o use

media communications. He is also writing a book on t h e history and impact

e l e m e n t a r y , o r g a n i c , a n d h i g h - t e c h l i g h t i n g to c r e a t e

of Burning Man as a cultural p h e n o m e n o n .

" e n h a n c e d e n v i r o n m e n t s " of a reflective nature. T h e g r o u p has d o n e f o u r lighting installations f o r B u r n i n g M a n : Synaptic

(2000, T h e B o d y ) , The

Afterlife

( 2 0 0 1 , T h e Seven Ages o f M a n ) , The Leviathan

Mandala

(2002,

Public Art R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

Kevin McCormick, The Shadow Engine, Burning Man 2001. Photo by Kevin McCormick Radiant Atmosphere, The Afterlife, Burning Man 2001. Photo by Catweasel

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

THE EVOLVING PUBLIC FACE OF LIGHT ART R U S S E L L P. L E S L I E

W h a t does light art have to d o with architects? Light is b o t h a way to see physical f o r m s and a shaper of those f o r m s . S o m e architects explore the use of c h a n g i n g light to e m b e d m e a n i n g and delight in buildings. R a p i d technological advances afford u n p r e c e d e n t e d f r e e d o m to use light in creative ways. Solid-state lighting, i n c l u d i n g lighte m i t t i n g d i o d e s (LEDs), n o w offers h i g h e r light o u t p u t , instant d i m m i n g , u n l i m i t e d choice of colors, the ability to e m b e d tiny light sources a n y w h e r e , and easy p r o g r a m m a bility to continuously change lighting scenes. Lasers, h o l o g r a p h i c films, light guides and pipes, diffraction gratings, and o t h e r optical devices facilitate l i g h t i n g s temporal, spectral, directional, and spatial effects. N e w controls and sensors allow light c o m p o s i t i o n s t o c h a n g e rapidly in response to a p r o g r a m or external c o n d i t i o n s such as the c h a n g i n g a m b i e n t light, the presence of people, o r m o t i o n . B u t architecture is subject to a variety of social and e c o n o m i c forces that influence the lighting world. A rising m o v e m e n t challenges the o m n i p r e s e n t application of light in public spaces. Light generated by electricity has social costs, including d e m a n d for energy resources and increased emissions f r o m p o w e r plants used to generate electricity. Light e v e r y w h e r e is n o t green. Light e v e r y w h e r e contributes to sky glow, the wasted light that is directed to the sky and inhibits a v i e w of the stars. Light e v e r y w h e r e increases light trespassâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;light directed w h e r e it is u n w a n t e d such as a neighbor's b e d r o o m w i n d o w or the eyes of a passing m o t o r i s t . " L u x wars" break o u t as gas stations, car dealerships, and c o n v e n i e n c e stores p u m p up their lighting systems in hopes of attracting customers. O n the o t h e r h a n d , light is associated w i t h e c o n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t : w i t h d y n a m i c night life, safety, h e a l t h â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a n d aesthetic pleasure. O n e of m y strongest c h i l d h o o d m e m o r i e s is b e i n g driven h o m e f r o m m y grandparent's h o m e and the anticipation of passing the elevated Yale t r u c k billboard o n the West Side highway in M a n h a t t a n , w i t h its lit wheels sequenced to simulate the m o t i o n of tires. To b r o a d e n t h e i r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of light's p o t e n t i a l , architects m i g h t p o n d e r an analogy b e t w e e n light and music. Is t h e r e such a t h i n g as a light chord? T h e musical c h o r d has t e x t u r e a n d d i m e n s i o n . C o m p o s e d o f a p a r t i c u l a r c o m b i n a t i o n of notes, the c h o r d is also d e f i n e d by t o n e , intensity, d u r a t i o n , direction, and expression. Each individual's e x p e r i e n c e , m o o d , culture, a n d physiology t e m p e r s his u n d e r s t a n d i n g of a c h o r d o r s e q u e n c e o f chords. P e r ceptions evoked by specific chords d e p e n d o n w h a t has p r e c e d e d and t h e lis-

tener's anticipation of w h a t is to follow. Carefully c o m p o s e d chords can elicit a range o f responses f r o m listeners. T h e same sequence of chords can d r a w elation or d e j e c t i o n according to a listener's f r a m e o f m i n d . Similarly, light comprises m a n y attributes: color, intensity, d u r a tion, view, contrast, direction, etc. In any given lighting situation, the c o n f i g u ration of these elements constitutes the light c h o r d . T h e frequencies of visible light d e t e r m i n e the color w h i c h is analogous to t o n e for audible frequencies. Larry Kagan, Hand Puppet, steel

and light. 2001.

As w i t h t h e musical chord, m e a n i n g derived f r o m a light c h o r d varies w i t h the

Photo courtesy Larry Kagan

biological, cultural, and e m o t i o n a l state of t h e perceiver. B o t h musical a n d light

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

chords are d y n a m i c ; they exist in relation to

f o r lighting, such as chandeliers. It also excludes r e n d e r -

the passage of time. A light chord, r e s o u n d e d

ings of light fixtures such as L o w Lober's Street

w i t h o u t r e l a t i o n t o o t h e r c h o r d s , loses its

Artists have also struggled w i t h d e p i c t i n g light itself such

m e a n i n g over t i m e , j u s t as a m u s i c a l c h o r d

as G i a c o m o Balla's Streetlamp. T h e s e r e n d e r i n g s o f light

played incessantly b e c o m e s e i t h e r u n n o t i c e -

in space are e x c l u d e d , e v e n t h o u g h physical light in

able o r intolerable.

space is clearly light art.

T h e light c h o r d describes a key c o m -

Lanterns.

Light art can be divided i n t o genres:

p o n e n t o f m y o w n a r c h i t e c t u r e : u s i n g light to c h a n g e o c c u p a n t s ' e x p e r i e n c e t h r o u g h t i m e a n d space in o r d e r

LIGHT SOURCES

t o create p e r s o n a l c o n n e c t i o n s . For e x a m p l e , t h e aus-

T h e p r i m a r y visual e l e m e n t is t h e light

tere hallway in t h e K o s t r i n s k y R e s i d e n c e is e n l i v e n e d

s o u r c e o r fixture itself. C o r k M a r c h e s c h i describes his

w i t h a m y s t e r i o u s g l o w as l o w a f t e r n o o n sun p o u r s

public light art: " M y attitude a b o u t lighting fixtures as

t h r o u g h a f u l l - s t o r y light shaft t o create a t e m p o r a r y

art e l e m e n t s is that it is t h e easiest way to i n t r o d u c e light

special e v e n t , b r i n g i n g t h e g o l d e n a f t e r n o o n g l o w i n t o

as a creative material to p e o p l e w h o n o r m a l l y d o n ' t v e n -

a windowless corridor.

ture i n t o the fine art world. M y fine art w o r k is a b o u t

All visual art involves l i g h t . T h e r e is,

energy, light, a n d h u m o r . Light is t h e m a t e r i a l of o u r

h o w e v e r , a g r o w i n g i n t e r e s t in light art, w o r k s w h e r e

visual e x p e r i e n c e s . W e k n o w it as an abstract material.

light is a p r i m a r y m e d i u m . It is a hazy b o u n d a r y that

T h i s prelinguistic k n o w l e d g e is a very i m p o r t a n t c o m -

separates light art f r o m o t h e r visual art. But n e w lighting

p o n e n t in u n d e r s t a n d i n g w h y a r t w o r k s c o m p o s e d o f

t e c h n o l o g i e s , creative artists, and the d y n a m i c n a t u r e of

light p e n e t r a t e p e o p l e ' s b a r r i e r s of abstract art a n d

light are p r o d u c i n g m o r e a n d m o r e p i e c e s t h a t are

ideas.""' N e o n art is a n o t h e r example, o f f e r i n g c h a n g e -

clearly on the light art side of the b o r d e r . P e r m a n e n t and

able c o m p o s i t i o n s temporally or spatially. For example,

t e m p o r a r y light art pieces n o w appear in m a n y venues.

B r u c e N a u m a n ' s Double Poke in the Eye II tells a brief

T h e y utilize diverse sources i n c l u d i n g the sun, electric

story as t h e figures alternate pokes in each other's eye.

light, a n d light p r o d u c e d f r o m c o m b u s t i o n . T h e f o l l o w -

D a n Flavin's w o r k w i t h

i n g discussion o f public light art focuses o n p e r m a n e n t

sources g e n r e a bit f u r t h e r , since the reflected light f r o m

fluorescent

lamps takes the light

l i g h t art i n s t a l l a t i o n s t h a t use e l e c t r i c l i g h t s o u r c e s .

s u r r o u n d i n g surfaces, as well as t h e light source itself,

A l t h o u g h l i g h t i n g f i x t u r e s t h e m s e l v e s can b e art, this

b e c o m e s a p r i m a r y part of the piece.

discussion excludes fixtures if their p r i m a r y f u n c t i o n is

( b e l o w l e f t ) Bruce Nauman, Double Poke in the Eye II. neon construction. 1985 Collection of t h e Kemper Museum of C o n t e m p o r a r y Art, Kansas City, Mo. Bebe and C r o s b y Kemper Collection, Gift of t h e R.C. Kemper Charitable Trust and Foundation ÂŠ 2 0 0 4 Bruce Nauman/Artists Rights Society (ARS), N e w York ( b e l o w r i g h t ) Russ Leslie, Kostrinksy Residence. Photo by Michael Fredericks ( o p p o s i t e p a g e t o p ) Peter Freeman, Pink Lift, Gallery Oldham, Oldham, United Kingdom, 2002. ( o p p o s i t e p a g e b o t t o m ) Peter Freeman, Green Lift, Gallery Oldham, Oldham, United Kingdom, 2002. Photos courtesy Peter Freeman

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

DIFFRACTION

idea is depicted w i t h a light bulb. H u m a n beings are p h o -

S p l i t t i n g light i n t o colors is a p o p u l a r

totropic. N o t l o o k i n g at a light takes a conscious effort.

light art t e c h n i q u e , a l t h o u g h t h e sun is o f t e n t h e light

Light, b o t h overt a n d subtle, can b o t h

source. R e d , g r e e n , a n d blue p r i m a r y light sources can

inspire art a n d i n f u s e it w i t h m e a n i n g . C o n s i d e r t h e

c r e a t e d y n a m i c , c o m p l e m e n t a r y s h a d o w p a t t e r n s that

p o w e r of the Tribute in Light, the shafts of light m e m o r i a l -

e n t i c e i n t e r a c t i o n . D i c h r o i c m a t e r i a l s also f a c i l i t a t e

izing t h e Allien World T r a d e C e n t e r towers. T h e light

c h a n g i n g effects.

metaphysically recreates the towers, focuses attention to the heavens, and invites introspection. W i t h i n hours of the REFLECTION

S e p t e m b e r 11 tragedy, several proposals for beams of light

O p t i c a l reflections using i m a g i n g a n d n o n i m a g i n g reflections can create effects that complicate

a i m e d to the sky surfaced i n d e p e n d e n t l y o n the Internet, suggesting a widely held response to light's symbolism.

viewers' sense of w h a t is the object and w h a t is its image. H o l o g r a p h y also is used to create a separate reality of light.

Besides s y m b o l i s m , d y n a m i s m

is t h e

most p o w e r f u l o p p o r t u n i t y for light art. As suggested by the n o t i o n of a light chord, light is a convenient t e c h n i q u e

SHADOWS

for depicting multiple scenes or ideas that can change as

T h e p r i m a r y c o m p o s i t i o n a l e l e m e n t is

the observer moves or time passes. Reasons for the change

t h e s h a d o w o f physical elements, o f t e n i n t e r a c t i n g w i t h

can b e left to the observer's reflection or can be carefully

observers. L a r r y Kagan's tangled m e t a l sculptures only

b e c o m e recognizable f o r m s w h e n t h e spotlight casts a

any m e d i u m , excessive c h a n g e can b e c o m e n o change,

s h a d o w f r o m prescribed directions.

and the special effect can b e simple glitz devoid of m e a n ing. Lighting's technological advances and its very u b i q -

PROJECTION/VIDEO

uity threaten its p o w e r as an artistic m e d i u m in o u r public

W h e r e the line is b e t w e e n light art and

environments. T i m e s Square, the F r e m o n t Street E x p e r i -

v i d e o is d e b a t a b l e . C e r t a i n l y p r o j e c t i o n , s u c h as T o n y

e n c e in Las Vegas, Disney World light shows, f i r e w o r k s —

Oursler's p r o j e c t i o n of faces o n puppets, is a creative use

all create special places and events, but their p o w e r as art

of light for art. P r o j e c t i o n is a p o w e r f u l t e c h n i q u e to cre-

lies in their uniqueness, w h i c h means their scarcity. It is

ate c h a n g i n g scenes o r stories. H o w e v e r , e x t e r i o r p r o j e c -

the challenge of light artists to use e m o t i o n , provocation,

tions o f movies o r logos v e n t u r e outside m y scope here.

symbolism, and insight in e m p l o y i n g a m e d i u m w i t h such p o t e n t i a l f o r invasive, i n - y o u r - f a c e art. O t h e r w i s e , w e

L I G H T AS S P A T I A L E L E M E N T

have n o light chords, only light noise.

T h e use of light itself as a c o m p o s i t i o n a l

and

dynamism

manifest

themselves in specific examples of public light art. T h o u -

o n e c a n n o t see light itself, o n l y its interaction w i t h sur-

sands of weary travelers have e x p e r i e n c e d Michael H a y -

faces o r w i t h dispersions in t h e air such as s m o k e o r

den's The Sky's the Limit w h i l e traveling b e t w e e n O ' H a r e

mist. J a m e s Turrell's Night

Passage a n d Afrum

Proto, f o r

International Airport's Terminals B and C . Hayden's art

e x a m p l e , challenge w h a t is built f o r m and w h a t is light.

transforms a l o n g passage t h r o u g h an u n d e r g r o u n d t u n -

D o u g W h e e l e r ' s SA MI DW SM 2 15 erases traditional

nel i n t o a lively e x p e r i e n c e . M y first e n c o u n t e r was d u r -

spatial clues.

i n g a late-night c o n n e c t i o n . T h e t u n n e l achieved a d d e d Perhaps a m o r e interesting t a x o n o m y of

light art arises n o t f r o m c o n s i d e r i n g t e c h n i q u e b u t f r o m

Symbolism

e l e m e n t is an e x c i t i n g t e c h n i q u e for light art. O f course,

dimensions, w i t h the space m o v i n g as well as me. N e o n , sequenced

controls,

colors,

and

electronic

music

e x a m i n i n g t h e i n h e r e n t qualities that light has for a r t -

a n n o u n c e d an electronic j o u r n e y , enlivening an o t h e r -

m a k i n g . T w o of these characteristics are s y m b o l i s m a n d

wise q u o t i d i a n e x p e r i e n c e . O n e ' s m o v e m e n t o n

dynamism.

walkway b e c o m e s part of the a r t w o r k .

the

U n l i k e o t h e r art m e d i a , light is e m b e d -

T h i s t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f the e x p e r i e n c e

d e d w i t h s y m b o l i s m a n d m e t a p h o r . U n l i k e oil p a i n t ,

of m o v i n g was the p r e c u r s o r for later w o r k s by H a y d e n ,

acrylics, s t o n e , o r metals, light is universally l i n k e d to

such as his Arpeggio,

p e o p l e ' s p s y c h e s , beliefs, a n d physiology. W e b e c o m e

garage walkway, that uses i n t e r t w i n i n g helixes of c o l o r e d

e n l i g h t e n e d . W e m o v e to t h e light in birth a n d d e a t h .

L E D s . T h e e v o l u t i o n of this c o n c e p t continues. D e a n n e

O u r c h u r c h e s a d m i t light f r o m above. O u r e y e s — a n d

Sabeck's LightWaves,

o f t e n o u r spirits—-are raised by natural light: stars, the ris-

pedestrians to the interaction of glass, light, and shadows.

ing and setting sun, n o r t h e r n lights, rainbows. A brilliant

T h e recently o p e n e d t u n n e l in the N o r t h w e s t Airlines

in t h e N a s h v i l l e A i r p o r t p a r k i n g

at t h e San D i e g o A i r p o r t , treats

M c N a m a r a T e r m i n a l at t h e D e t r o i t

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

Metro

Airport

o v e r t l y seeks t o o u t d o t h e O ' H a r e i n s t a l l a t i o n . D o n Stolt, t h e tunnel's architect, touts t h e i m p r o v e d s o u n d and p r o g r a m m i n g

flexibility

that s u p p o r t s t w o t w e l v e -

John Bennet, Gustavo Bonevardi, Richard Nash Gould, Julian LaVerdiere, Paul Marantz and Paul Myoda, Tribute in Lightâ&#x201E;˘, a project by Creative Time and the Municipal Art Society. Photo by www.charliesamuels.com ÂŠ2000

m i n u t e shows r u n by c o m p u t e r . Is the logical e x t e n s i o n of this d e v e l o p m e n t t h e i m m e r s i o n o f p e d e s t r i a n s in

sculpture on the grounds of Winchester

Cathedral,

interactive movies? As technical capabilities c o n t i n u e to

responds to cell p h o n e text messages w i t h c h a n g i n g color

improve, the art m u s t b e j u d g e d o n t h e c o n t e n t of the

and light patterns.

e x p e r i e n c e , n o t the c o m p l e x i t y o f the t e c h n i q u e . Public light art n e e d n o t b e a c o m p l i -

L i g h t i n g is a p o w e r f u l art m e d i u m . O u r c h a l l e n g e is to t r a n s c e n d t h e o b v i o u s " w o w " effects o f

cated show. A l e j a n d r o and M o i r a Sina's End of the Line in

the developing technologies and capture the potential

Alewife Station features red n e o n tubes h a n g i n g verti-

o f light's symbolic, cultural, a n d p s y c h o p h y s i c a l legacy.

cally in the t e r m i n u s of Boston's R e d Line subway. T h e

We must move beyond mere decoration of our public

colors dangle a n d are agitated by passing trains. M o v e -

spaces in favor o f art that offers c o m m e n t a r y , r e f l e c t i o n ,

m e n t and stillness. C o l o r u n d e r g r o u n d .

meaning, and n e w perspectives to o u r e n v i r o n m e n t a l

N e w l i g h t i n g t e c h n o l o g y can q u i c k l y

experience.

c h a n g e colors of objects, b u t color changes can also b e p s y c h o p h y s i c a l ^ i n d u c e d . Peter Freeman's Pink Lift uses

Notes

p i n k or g r e e n cold c a t h o d e l i g h t i n g in elevators. T h e

1. Leslie, Russ. "Listening to Light-

2. http://corkmarcheschi.com/

visitor's visual system b e c o m e s c o l o r a d a p t e d t o t h e

ing's Music." LD&A (March 1991):

index.html

elevator's i n t e r i o r , a n d u p o n e x i t i n g t h e elevator, o n e

7-8.

t e m p o r a r i l y sees e v e r y t h i n g shaded in c o m p l e m e n t a r y color. P r o j e c t i o n can also create landscapes w i t h light, as in Leni S c h w e n d i n g e r ' s Vanishing

Garden, a c o u r t y a r d

(next p a g e ) Doug Wheeler, SA Ml DW SM 2 75, California Art from the Panza Collection at the Guggenheim Museum.Venice, 2001. ( f o l l o w i n g p a g e t o p ) Alejandro and Moira Sina, End of the Red Line,

p r o j e c t i o n t h a t m a k e s l a n d s c a p e c o m p o s i t i o n visible

Alewife Station. Boston, Mass., commissioned by the Massachusetts Bay

d u r i n g Alaska's long, dark winters. F r e e m a n also explores

Transit Authority.

city c o m m u n i c a t i o n n e t w o r k s using interactive controls as vehicles for public light art. Luminous,

his 2 0 0 2 light

( f o l l o w i n g p a g e b o t t o m ) Leni Schwendinger, Vanishing Garden. Anchorage, Alaska, 2000. Photo by Randy Brandon/Third Eye Photography

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.5UMMER.04

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring.Summer.04

PROJECT

ANDY G O L D S W O R T H Y ' S G A R D E N OF STONES by H a r r i e t F. Senie • • •

Andy Goldsworthy has a well-deserved reputation as an artist

( b o t t o m left) Andy Goldsworthy, Garden of Stones, Museum of Jewish

w h o for many years has worked with natural materials and

Heritage-A Living Memorial t o the Holocaust, N e w York City, N.Y., 2003.

processes with great sensitivity and originality. Yet his Garden of

Photo by Burt Roberts

Stones at the Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in lower Manhattan is a disturbing piece—but

( o p p o s i t e ) Fire hollowing out boulder, 2003. Image courtesy of t h e Public A r t Fund; Garden of Stones © Andy Goldsworthy 2003

not in the general way of Holocaust memorials. Described as public art, although it is public neither in funding nor location, its complex symbolism contains inherent and unintended con-

tional center, expanded exhibition space, a library and resource

tradictions. Eighteen boulders ranging in height from three to

center, a catering hall, offices, and a cafe.The cafe provides one

six feet are arranged closely in a plot of sand measuring 120 by

entrance to the Memorial Garden on the second floor; the

35 feet on the second-story roof terrace, boarded on two sides

other is from a large open area also leading to the special exhi-

by high granite walls. Visually suggestive of a gigantic sarcopha-

bition gallery.The Memorial Garden is also visible from several

gus or cemetery, the installation raises basic questions of

windowed corridors on various floors and a usually inaccessi-

whether this is a garden of life or death.

ble terrace on the third floor. T h e budget for the garden was $1.4 million (including engi-

THE C O M M I S S I O N

T h e idea to include a contemplative space for a work of public art (an arguable description for a piece so completely encapsulated by its building) was an integral part of the museum's expansion, designed by Kevin R o c h e John Dinkeloo and Associates, architects of the original building. T h e new four-story R o b e r t M. Morgenthau wing also contains a theater, an educa-

neering, construction, materials, artist's fees, etc.) and was funded by the N e w York City Council. T h e competition, run by the Public Art Fund, was sponsored by a board member. Invitations to submit ideas for the project were sent to 100 artists; twenty-five responded. A museum-appointed jury that included members of the board and Holocaust survivors selected Goldsworthy's design from the five finalists chosen to submit full proposals.' T h e other artists were Valeska Soares, Beverly Pepper, George Trakas, and Magdalena Abakanowicz. It would have been interesting to see an exhibition of the other proposals accompanied by each artist's concept of the project, to open a public dialogue about appropriate memorial sculpture for the museum.

THE CONCEPT

T h e unlikely actors in Goldsworthy's grand narrative are oak trees and granite boulders. If all goes according to plan, the eighteen dwarf oaks will in a century or so grow to twelve feet, emerging not from the soil but from hollowed-out boulders. In about four years the trees might reach two or three feet. Right now the tiny saplings look like twigs. While not exactly blood from a stone, this problematic botanical experiment suggests the highly improbable. If the growing tree expands sufficiently to meet the stone, its root system will atrophy. Goldsworthy has suggested that a dead tree might then remain among the living.2 Over time, acorns may result in new trees. Although labor intensive maintenance is posited as part of the on-going c o m memorative process,1 in the end this is a garden doomed, at least in part, to die—over and over again, a perverse concept for a garden, if not a memorial.

THE PROCESS

As with much of Goldsworthy's work, the process is a significant part of the content. Here it is an echo of the primordial. Public Art R e v i e w . Spring.Summer.04

Mammoth boulders excavated from a quarry in Stony Creek,

at the root even as they struggle for life.These rocks for the ages

Connecticut, were hollowed out by fire, a difficult and time-

are then both the survivors and the agents of death. T h e unin-

consuming process, to make room for the roots to grow.

tended metaphor is mixed.

According to the artist, he chose this method because the rocks themselves were created by molten heat, but I wonder if the fires of Holocaust crematoria were not also lurking somewhere behind this choice. Then, too, eternal flames and stones are a significant part of the Hall of R e m e m b r a n c e at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem's multipart memorial to the Holocaust. Images of molten fire inside the boulders featured prominently on the invitation to the opening. Since this is such a significant part of the concept, it is unfortunate that this information is not currently available to all viewers of the garden.

All of which raises a major problem. T h e sculpture's meaning, even inscribed by this very specific site with a view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, is not clear. It requires explanation in a way that the best memorials do not. Some viewers may react favorably to its nonspecific content, but I would argue that in this museum, in this distinct place adjacent to the site where the World Trade Center once stood, in N e w York City with the largest population of Jews outside of Israel, such a memorial should be specific and clear without a script. Planned texts and explanatory labels will no doubt enhance and expand understanding, but a memorial like this should stand on its own.

THE SCULPTURE

A single viewing of Goldsworthy's Garden of Stones is clearly

Harriet F. Senie is director of museum studies at The City College of N e w

insufficient. It is a time-based project with change built in and is

York and professor of a r t history t h e r e and at the Graduate Center. She is

meant to be seen repeatedly. Approaching the boulders today,

t h e t h e c o - e d i t o r of Critical Issues in Public Art and t h e a u t h o r of Contemporary

without benefit of explanatory text or ancillary exhibition, the

Public Sculpture.Tradition, Transformation, and Controversy, The Tilted Arc Contro-

layered content is not apparent. T h e boulders number eighteen,

versy: Dangerous Precedent? and numerous articles on public art.

a reference to the Hebrew Chai, the word that also means life, as in the toast, L'chaim (to life). But w h o counts the boulders and who has this reference at their fingertips? Taken on its own, the visible symbolism is ambiguous, if not contradictory. Notes

This ambiguity is evident in the spontaneous response of visi-

1. Members of the j u r y included Ivy

3. This suggestion was m a d e by

tors w h o since the garden opened have left small stones around

Barsky.Judah Gribetz, Fanya Gottes-

Tom Eccles, director of the Public

the saplings resting tenuously atop the boulders. This Hebrew

feld Heller, Steve Kaufman, David

Art Fund. See article in note 2.

practice of Gal'edâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;marking

Marwell, Bruce Ratner, Kevin

Eccles also admitted that this was

a place of commemoration, usu-

ally a grave, with stonesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;derives from the ancient word meaning "a stone or a heap of stones that witnessed an event, [that]

R o c h e , Michael Steinhardt, and

"an incredibly fragile work for a

James Young. My thanks to Abby

public commission."

Spilka at the M u s e u m of Jewish

have become marked off and become sacred."4 T h e boulders are

Heritage for this and much other

4. Mira Engler. " A Living Memorial:

thus transformed into symbolic grave stones, indeed tombs, for

pertinent information.

C o m m e m o r a t i n g Yitzhak R a b i n at the Tel Aviv Square." Places

the trees they may eventually kill. Seen in this light, as the visitors w h o left stones atop the boulders obviously did, the Garden of Stones is more cemetery than signal of hope. Rather than a living memorial to the Holocaust, the garden is a forever dying

2. Kaufman, Jason Edward.

(Winter 1999), note 2 , 1 1 .

"Stones Full of Life and Memory." New York Times, 14 September 2003, A R 35.

shrine, the trees (emblematic of human life) potentially crushed

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

LIGHTING FOR PUBLIC ART Alfred R . Borden • • •

( o p p o s i t e p a g e left) Auguste Rodin .The Thinker, Philadelphia, Pa. This is a shot showing a test of lighting the statue from its left f r o n t with sodium lighting (amber/orange light). It was thought that opposing washes of a m b e r and clear light would be a compelling contrast. Instead,

Public art should be lighted. Artwork in a public place, regardless of scale or style, can draw its viewers into a conversation about their cultural identity, their sense of place, and the aesthetic choices that characterize eras in their c o m m o n history. T h e constantly evolving relationship between viewer and artwork can transform some works from emblem to eyesore and back again, and others from alien intruder to cherished destination. In an urban environment, where public life continues long after sundown, the interaction between a community and its civic art is extended and enhanced by nighttime lighting. In this context, electric lighting is integral to the life of art in the public realm. Good lighting enriches the presentation of the art. Bad lighting diminishes it. But what is good lighting, and how is it achieved? A primary consideration is that light in itself is an extremely expressive medium. Artists conceive their work in a daylit environment. But daylight is not static; it shifts in color, angle, and visual clarity hourly and seasonally. Artists use these changes to give life to their work. Daylit art goes through cyclic transformations that join the work and its site in an organic way, helping viewers link their experience of the work to a particular time and place, in ways that can be both refreshing and familiar. T h e look of a work on an overcast summer afternoon is quite different from its appearance when bathed in the low, strong angles of crisp, winter m o r n i n g sun. T h e viewer may find new qualities revealed by this light, or be reminded of past times or seasons and one's place in the cycle of events. An electric lighting installation does not produce the same connection to the natural environment. T h e art sits within the envelope of its nighttime lighting. Backed by a dark sky or the Jacques Lipchitz, Spirit of Enterprise, 1950-1960. O n e of 13 sculptures lit through the Fairmount Park Art Association's Kelly Drive Sculpture Illumination Project in Philadelphia, Pa. Project designed by the Lighting Design Collaborative and launched O c t o b e r 2003. For m o r e information visit www.fpaa.org. Photo by Gregory Benson © 2003 Courtesy Fairmount Park Art Asssociation

it gave the metal finish a strange color cast readily apparent on t h e left shoulder.This idea did not w o r k . Photo courtesy The Lighting Practice ( o p p o s i t e p a g e r i g h t ) Auguste Rodin, The Thinker, Philadelphia, Pa. A shot of the final solution—the statue with clear light, with m o r e intensity on the head and a gentle gradation t o t h e base. Photo courtesy The Lighting Practice

jumble of urban streetlights, it assumes an iconic status. T h e focused quality of the electric lighting draws attention to the work in a way that daylight cannot.This special emphasis opens the work to a new kind of relationship with the viewer and enhances its status in the surrounding visual landscape.The artwork becomes a landmark in a darkened world.This change in status can be a strong statement about the work and its subject—and their place in the life of the city. T h e daytime-tonighttime transformation of a work is both spiritual and physical. Its visual imagery becomes a product of the lighting system's qualities. Since electric lighting is a designed element rather than a natural phenomenon, it will impose the lighting designer's point of view on the artwork. In addition, an electric lighting system is typically static, so it can only depict one m o m e n t in the visual cycle of the artwork. Which m o m e n t to depict and what view to express are the stuff of long discussions between lighting designer and client, and the subject of many on-site lighting tests. A lighting designer has two choices when asked to light a piece of art. T h e designer might conceive an appearance for the work that cannot be produced under daylit conditions—for example, projecting light from artificial angles, such as up from the ground, or in contrived colors, in order to place a new interpretation on the art. Such techniques create a new nighttime identity for the piece. Alternatively, the designer might try to recreate a facsimile of the work's daylit appearance by achieving a particular look that captures the essence of the artist's message. Selecting a visual concept for lighting is a c o m plex decision. In our practice, we have found it unwise to choose the first path—a new interpretation—if the artist is not available for consultation. Such a decision places the lighting designer's point of view above that of the original artist and may result in a lighting installation that creates a trivial or transitory effect, not a deeper look into the work's meaning. Collaborating with an artist on a new look for a piece, on the other hand, can be extremely rewarding. T h e possibilities for selective accent and coloration offered by electric lighting can reveal new aspects and relationships in the work and can expand its meaning. In the absence of the artist, the lighting designer becomes an investigator of the artist's original intent and the meaning of the work as it has evolved for the community. T h e lighting designer, in this role, is a conservator of the artist's concept.

REPORT

Should lighting depict the piece in strong, dramatic lines, or should it show the work in balanced, diffused softness? Both looks may occur under daylight, but one is likely to c o m e closer to the artist's intent and the work's essential meaning. In short, lighting can only be judged by determining whether it creates an image for the work that is true to the artist's intention, and whether its technical realization provides a clear rendition of this image. Lighting composition, color, balance, and contrast are the brushes a lighting designer uses to paint the nighttime image of an artwork. In their o w n artistic process, designers ask themselves a variety of questions: What are the most important viewpoints for seeing Lighting must be designed to deliver its message to est number of viewers. Works that can be observed require the most balanced and symmetrical lighting

the work? the greatfrom 360° treatment.

Is the work mainly viewed from close up or at a distance? Works seen from a distance generally require more light to be visually strong than do those that are viewed up close. As the work gets closer it more completely fills the observer's field of view and admits fewer distractions. Can the lighting fixtures be concealed trom viewers? A visible lighting fixture aperture can be brighter than the art and create a glaring distraction. Can the lighting fixtures be isolated from the public? Are they vulnerable to foot traffic or vandalism? Often a lighting concept and its execution must be adjusted to suit the realities of the artworks physical environment so that a system can be operated and maintained over time. Is the area s u r r o u n d i n g the artwork dimly or brightly lit? Does the work need to stand comfortably within this environment or dominate it? W h a t is the color and finish of the artwork? Dark

finishes

points of light; matte finishes create diffused reflections. T h e type and quantity of lighting striking the finish must be m o d ulated to suit its characteristics. Does the artwork contain human or animal figures? D o w n lighting works best for a naturalistic rendition ot human and animal forms because it simulates the natural shadow angles of daylight. Uplighting shadows can give figures a distorted or ghoulish appearance. In general, we have found that lighting older works—those whose finish has aged to a black patina—requires the most sensitive approach. Such work was created under daylight, so white electric light is the best source for nighttime illumination. We typically use fixtures fitted with 3000°K (Kelvin, or absolute, temperature scale) ceramic metal halide lamps to get the richest and warmest tone of white light possible. These lamps have long life and low energy requirements as well as excellent color rendition. We have also found that older sculptures must be lighted from all sides or the fine detail of their design is lost in the deep shadow produced by their black finish. We create chiaroscuro by introducing light ot different intensities from opposing angles. This technique generates enough shadow to delineate the shape and detail of the piece but not so m u c h that parts of it disappear into the darkness. Modulated intensities f r o m symmetrical sources produce a pleasing effect without flattening or diminishing the work's form. Lighting can enhance the status and recognition of public art. but it must be applied carefully and artistically so that the meaning of the art will not be obscured by the overlay of electric lighting technology. Alfred Borden is president of The Lighting Practice, Inc., a lighting design consultancy located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a professional member of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and the European Lighting Designer's Association (ELDA). In addition to his professional practice, he is a frequent writer and lecturer on various aspects of lighting design.

absorb light; pale finishes reflect it. Glossy finishes reflect

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

REPORT

FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL: THE PUBLIC ART NETWORK Todd Bressi •

•

Public art, many critics have observed, is most successful w h e n

such as artists and consultants? Can PAN be more effective at

it is regarded as local—reacting to local conditions and con-

outreach to other groups, such as local officials, design profes-

texts, reflecting the spirit of both its creator and the c o m m u -

sionals, and developers? Should PAN play a stronger role in

nity in which it is located. N o t coincidentally, the practice of

advocating for public art, fostering policy debates, setting stan-

public art—the work of commissioning, funding, designing,

dards of practice, or stimulating creative dialogue?

and fabricating projects—is fundamentally a local enterprise. In the coming months, PAN will be rolling out a new generT h e localness of public art has been both a blessing and a bane.

ation of products and services that follow on its networking

O n one hand, it constantly stimulates creativity and experi-

and technical assistance strategy, PAN coordinator R e n e e

mentation. O n the other, public art practitioners have a hard

Piechocki reported.These include a publication on best prac-

time learning about what is going on beyond the boundaries

tices in artist selection and annotated contracts that public

of their programs, about the latest creative successes and tech-

agencies and private developers can use as the starting point

nical approaches, or even the fundamentals of program m a n -

for making agreements with artists. Both will be available free

agement.

from the PAN website. "That's a way to make our services more available," Piechocki said.

T h e Public Art N e t w o r k , n o w nearly four years old, has stepped into the breach with a vigor and effectiveness that has

PAN is also releasing a new monograph, Public Art: An Essen-

won it a membership of some 350 individuals and organiza-

tial Part of Creating Communities

(written by F O R E C A S T

tions. PAN, a unit of the national arts advocacy group Ameri-

director Jack Becker), which will summarize the findings of its

cans for the Arts, has grown by focusing on networking. It

recent survey of public art agencies. It is collaborating with

sponsors a highly regarded listserv and weekly e-newsletter, an

Seattle's Office on Arts and Culture on Public Art by the

annual preconference staged in conjunction with the AFTA

Book, a sequel to that agency's popular Public Art 101 mate-

conference, and a growing list of on-line resources and Inter-

rial. And it will soon post to its website an archive of past list-

net links (see www.americansforthearts.org).

serv queries and responses.

These efforts have won PAN a loyal following, primarily of arts

Some PAN members are eager for the group to engage other

administrators. "PAN is the best thing that has happened to

constituencies whose support is necessary to make successful

public art in my fifteen years as a public artist. It helps remove

art projects. "Special, targeted outreach to the development

the sense of isolation that surrounds so many of us by offering

c o m m u n i t y would be helpful so that we could refer those

the opportunity to listen, respond, and learn," Kathleen M e e -

folks to services that PAN provides in a fashion more tailored

han, a Honolulu-based artist, said in an e-mail interview.

to them," said Angela Adams, director of the Arlington County,Virginia, public art and community art program.

T h e networking resources have been especially valuable to

people building new programs from the ground up, a way for

"We'd love to get more connected with planners, local deci-

established organizations to transmit experience down the line.

sion makers, architects, designers, local officials," Piechocki

"Having that networking at our fingertips has made it easier to

said. " D o we serve them directly? O r develop resources for the

create the foundation for our program," said Kitty Feeney,

public art director to hand over? Probably we have to go both

director of the Louisiana Division of the Arts Percent for Art

ways." Because of AFTA's outreach efforts, she added, the U.S.

Program, established in 1999. "Every time a question comes

Conference of Mayors has added public art to its top ten list of

up, I post it to the listserv, and within an hour I always get

tools for making good communities. But in many situations,

responses. Feeney also said PAN's e-newsletter is an effective

she said, the case will have to be made on a local basis.

way to spread the word about its calls for artists. "We can distribute all over the country, to artists w h o we wouldn't otherwise have the resources to reach."

Besides advocacy, some m e m b e r s w o n d e r w h e t h e r PAN should begin taking positions on issues such as artist copyrights, expressive freedom, and community process. "Those are

But what next? Having built a solid base of members and basic

inherently political issues but should be something a national

services, PAN faces no shortage of questions about its next

organization talks about. It's true that this could be controver-

steps. Can PAN's networking be expanded to include fuller

sial, but we at least could present different points of view," sug-

representation from constituencies besides arts administrators,

gested architect and art consultant Mark Spitzer.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

W h e t h e r PAN should take on a more forceful role in creative

to expand the kinds of public art that there are," Feeney

dialogue is a matter of debate. "We are primarily a service

observed. Indeed, PAN's relationship to AFTA remains, for some

organization, just like the American Institute of Architects,"

members, a simmering issue. "If I thought my membership fees

said Spitzer. "I don't expect the A1A to be the creative juice

were going directly to PAN, perhaps I would have continued in

for architecture in the U.S., and I don't expect PAN to pro-

the years in which I didn't attend its preconference," art consult-

vide that either. 1 expect PAN to support it, recognize it,

ant Marsha Moss noted.

encourage it." Yet PAN, as part of the broader umbrella of

Spitzer, w h o has been an active PAN leader, explained that the

AFTA, might be able to move beyond its focus on visual arts

artists and administrators w h o started PAN were daunted by

and explore links to other artistic disciplines, such as music

the challenge of launching a national organization, and the

and theatre, some members said. T h e challenge would be to

link to AFTA made sense. "AFTA has acquired the consider-

think about sustaining art in public places, not just sustaining

able energies of the public art administrators," he said, "and is

public art programs, they said.

now visible in an arena where it had not been. PAN n o w has access to a much larger and sturdier platformâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the ability to

" T h e networking at the conferences is valuable, but it would

have a really attractive conference being the most obviousâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

be interesting to find a way to incorporate artists of all kinds,

and more general exposure." Todd Bressi is the editor-at-large for Places journal.

(above) Closing celebration for the Public Art N e t w o r k preconference. Portland, Ore., 2003.

(left) Jack Mackie, Jerry Allen. Harriet Traurig, Gretchen Freeman, and Mary Rubin celebrate Harriet Traurig receiving the first ever Public Art N e t w o r k Award at the preconference in Portland, Ore., June, 2003. P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

REPORT

N E W S FROM THE HOMEFRONT by Jack B e c k e r • • •

Here in Minnesota, land of the wind-chill factor and 10,000

Shelly Willis, public art on campus coordinator at the U n i -

lakes, we really appreciate light. We get rare glimpses of the

versity of Minnesota, is currently planning major works by

N o r t h e r n Lights, and we seek light therapy during long winter

renowned artists Ann Hamilton, Ben R u b i n , John R o l o f f ,

days. T h e climate for public art in the Twin Cities—some of

Rebecca Krinke, Eduardo Kac, and Seyed Alavi.The program

which incorporates light—has been heating up this spring.

focuses on creating situations w h e r e artists can use the

Here's a quick survey of projects and people making it happen.

resources at the university to further their investigations in

T h e Minnesota State Arts Board suffered a severe f u n d i n g blow last summer. Percent for Art in Public Places Senior Program Officer Mason Riddle was a m o n g the many staff m e m bers w h o were cut, but the program survived and is being maintained by Karen Mueller, a long-time arts board program officer. A m o n g recently completed percent—for—art projects are five works installed at the new Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in Saint Paul. R a l p h H e l m i c k and Stu Schecter's Exquisite

the public realm, while connecting to faculty and students t h r o u g h o u t their process. Michael Cohen's glass and light sculptural wall hanging, Pressure, Tension, Stress, Release at the University Recreation Center, was dedicated February 25. T h e sculpture is a series of six vertical assemblies of lights covered in acrylic and molded glass panels. Individually c o n trolled red, green, and blue lights are programmed to change under varying conditions.

Corpse, a suspended stained—glass corpse within

Mary Altman, head of Minneapolis' public art program, is

a series of metal "magnifying lenses," is the latest addition to

completing a series of n e i g h b o r h o o d gateway projects and

an impressive collection by local and national artists Virgina

beginning a policy initiative to secure funding of public art

Bradley, Ellie Murphy, John Isherwood, and Nancy Gipple.

well into the future. Altman is also involved in the city's new

The

site:

downtown Central Library project. Designed by Cesar Pelli,

w w w . a r t s . s t a t e . m n . u s / o t h e r / p e r c e n t . h t m , which provides a

the library will feature a collection of impressive public art

complete listing of more than 130 previously sponsored proj-

projects by Ben R u b i n , Lita Albuquerque, Beverly Pepper,

ects and an interactive map. Artists should also note that the

Ta-coumba Aiken, Donald Lipski, and Teri Kwant.

Arts

Board

also

unveiled

its

new

web

application deadline is May 15, 2004 for updating or b e c o m ing a part of the slide registry maintained for the Percent for Art in Public Places program. Go to MSAB's website to access

David Allen manages the public art for the region's first light rail system. T h e Hiawatha Light Rail will feature artists

the application form. T h e Saint Paul Winter Carnival constructed a monumental ice castle this winter designed by architect Leo A. Daly. Made of 30,000 blocks of ice cut from the surface of a nearby frozen lake, the castle was a huge success, attracting over 500,000 people to d o w n t o w n Sain. Paul. Lighting was an integral e l e m e n t , as it has b e e n with the ice castles built over the years by t h e carnival, w h i c h b e g a n in 1886. ( p h o t o s at http://www.wmter-carnival.com/palace2004/gallery.html) Another castle in Saint Paul, made of sand, will be featured in the Flint Hills International Children's Festival this June, hosted by the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. Created by Mark Mason o f T e a m Sandtastic, of Sarasota, Florida, the castle will weigh 150 tons and reach thirty feet high. Public Art Saint Paul, established by Christine Podas-Larson in 1987, engages artists in shaping Saint Paul's public realm. A m o n g their many initiatives underway are T h e N e w Stone Age, which will feature an international stone carving symposium in 2005; Western Sculpture Park, which will be included in a neighborhood assessment publication; Art in Streetscapes, a new program supporting projects along Saint Paul's avenues; and a revamped, unified city public art policy, building on the existing public art and design ordinance.

Beverly Pepper, sculpture concept proposal for the new Minneapolis Central Library, 2003.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

Andrew Leicester, Janet Zweig, Keith Christensen, Aldo

effects. More recently, Target added works by Dale Chihuly,

Moroni, Tom Rose, and others. T h e much anticipated grand

Ayomi Yoshida, Tony Berlant and H o w a r d Ben Tre, w h o s e

opening, originally set for April, will be delayed due to a transit

Gathering Vessel fountain and light scones of granite, glass and

worker strike.

bronze are a fine addition to the Nicollet Mall streetscape.

Target Corporation's headquarters in downtown Minneapolis

Stephen Feinstein, director of the University of Minnesota's

features Target Lights, a forty-foot-tall roof-top light installa-

Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, has persuaded

tion that can be seen from miles away. Undulating bands of

Twin Cities officials to host Coexistence, a world-traveling o u t -

slowly changing colors move around the top layer of the

d o o r exhibition featuring dozens of colorful panels, each

building in a soothing pattern. Designed by 3M technical spe-

measuring nine feet tall by fifteen feet wide. T h e show was

cialist Stephen Pojar, the display was first illuminated for the

general public on September 14, 2002 in red, white, and blue

visualize what coexistence is and what it m i g h t look like.

as a response to the September 11 tragedy. T h e lighting array

Conceived by the M u s e u m of the Seam, in Jerusalem, the

consists of 130 thirty-foot-tall glass pipes each holding a 575-

project aims to promote dialogue and understanding.

watt metal halide lamp projecting white light through cyan, magenta, and yellow color wheels. T h e lamps are integrated into a programmable, c o m p u t e r i z e d system that allows an unlimited number of colors, patterns, sequences, and lighting

This summer, the Totally Terrific TreeHouses exhibition will be featured at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the largest public garden in the U p p e r Midwest. Twelve mysterious, whimsical, and surreal structures were designed by artists, architects, and landscape architects, i n c l u d i n g

Marjorie

Pitz, Martin & Pitz Associates, Inc.; Meyer, Scherer and Rockcastle, Ltd.; Bruce Lemke, landscape architect; and Barb o u r / L a D o u c e u r Design Group, whose tree maze will reveal the space that trees create, drawing attention to their inherent beauty through the use of natural light, shadows, and contrast of textures. T h e Walker Art Center, which closed its doors February 16 for a year-long construction project—-an addition designed by architect Jacques Herzog—is stepping up their public profile this summer with an artist and architect-designed mini-golf course in the adjacent Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Plans also include a billboard exhibition f e a t u r i n g Yoko O n o , M a t t h e w Barney, Laylah Ali, Frank Gaard, and Takashi Murakami. R e m o d e l i n g plans include an expanded sculpture garden designed by French landscape architect Michel Desvigne. A major c o m p o n e n t will be James Turrell's Skyscape, an open-roofed room sunk in the garden.

F O R E C A S T Public A r t w o r k s — n o w twenty-five—is busier

than ever. From our tiny office in Saint Paul we are engaged in a wide variety of public art efforts. P r o g r a m Associate Rebecca Ryan recently completed the fifteenth annual round of public art grants for emerging artists in Minnesota, ranging from hand-carved woodcuts in picnic table tops to w i n d o w signs promoting support of the arts. We are proud to a n n o u n c e the recipients of the 2004 Public Art Affairs grants. Miguel Vargas was awarded the Partner Public Project grant to work W i n t e r Carnival Ice Palace, downtown Saint Paul, Minn., 2004.

with El Colegio Charter School and the Instituto de Cultura

Photo courtesy PROEX Photo and Portrait

y Educacion in south Minneapolis. Public Project grants were Public Art Review . Spring. Summer. 04

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* ^ii

awarded to Bart Buch, for Puppet Camp Otit; to Sara Hanson, for the Insterstellar Record Project; to Peter Haakon Thompson, for The Scarlet A project; and to Randy Walker, to create a public sculpture from an abandoned corncrib. Research and Development grants were awarded to e.g. bailey, Mai Neng Moua, Mankwe Ndosi, and Troy Zaushny. Director Jack Becker's current efforts include writing a public art monograph for the Public Art Network, a program of Americans for the Arts; facilitating the development of a Paul Wellstone Memorial to honor the late Minnesota senator; coordinating a series of sculptural seating projects for University Avenue in Saint Paul; managing the selection of art projects for the new Science C e n t e r of Iowa in Des Moines; preparing a public art plan for Carroll Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland; and assisting Arts Midwest with the development of a program pairing photographers with communities along highways 35 and 85, running from Duluth all the way to Mexico City via Laredo, Texas. Mexican and U.S. artists for the pilot year will be selected this spring and their public art projects will be visible later this year.

And this spring marks the fifteenth anniversary of Public Art Review. For the first time, PAR is in full color, marking a big leap forward for a small nonprofit journal. A F O R E C A S T newsletter from the fall of 1988 includes an article about the big plans underway for the first issue of this new semi-annual journal. "Public Art Review will capture the dialogue behind the continual developments in public art. This evolving field has many definitions and viewpoints, and a diversity of voices—from artistic to critical to administrative—will fill the

(above) Stephen Pojar, Target Lights, Minneapolis, Minn., 2002. Photo courtesy Target ( r i g h t ) Michael Cohen, Pressure,Tension, Stress, Release, University of Minnesota,Twin Cities campus, 2004. Photo courtesy Shelly Willis P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring.Summer.04

The premier issue, sporting Nancy Holt's Star Crossed (197981) on the cover, was dedicated to waterfronts. From coast to coast, to lake shores, and along the rivers of America, these environments tend to spawn public art. In the introduction to Issue # 1 , editor David Skarjune declared, "Public art affects everyone. Altering the landscape we live in. Changing the way we see our community Here, a long overdue dialogue begins, in the spirit of public expression and collaboration, with individual creativity and interpretation, and for an art form and audience that knows no bounds." Since that time we have explored a wide range of topics: Sculpture Gardens, Graffiti, Sound, Freedom of Expression, Multiculturalism, Historic Sites,Youth, Transit, Nature Trails, Folk Art, and much more. We have given voice to hundred of contributors. Some of them were well known, and some were new faces. We look forward to future issues addressing international public art, contemporary murals, public art planning, and the recurring theme of memorials. We are also excited about growing our website this summer (www.publicartreview.org) with an on-line anthology and a searchable database for use by students and researchers. With the support of our many subscribers and advertisers, for which we are extremely grateful. Public Art Review will be around a while longer. Jack Becker is the executive director of FORECAST Public Artworks, publ i s h e r of Public Art Review.

Congratulations

on Your Fifteenth Anniuersary Issue

S Stephen Knapp

www.lightpaintings.comwww.stephenknapp.comsk@stephenknapp.com

508-831-0390

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P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring. Summer. 04

LIGHT

PROJECTS

Thanks to Russ Leslie's students for researching and providing copy for several listings. O n S e p t e m b e r 15, 2 0 0 3 at 7:45 p.m., Cai C u o - Q i a n g presented LIGH1 CYCLE, a f i v e - m i n u t e " e x p l o sion e v e n t " in N e w York City's C e n t r a l Park that was the culm i n a t i o n of the park's s u m m e r l o n g 150th anniversary celebration. T h e event consisted of three stages: Signal Towers, five geyser-like pillars of fire e x t e n d i n g 600 feet i n t o the evening sky; Light Cycle, a series of halos that t h e artist described as "amulets placed over the

recipient or s o m e o n e else

and M a i n Streets in d o w n t o w n

traversed U n n a ' s Wasser Strasse

heart of M a n h a t t a n , " c o n c l u d i n g

" c a u g h t " it.To catch a message,

Ames, Iowa, includes steel light

since its origins in t h e f i f t e e n t h

w i t h a vertical r i n g e x t e n d i n g

participants either used a cell

fixtures fashioned of p a t t e r n -

century. T h e Hell Weg ( " b r i g h t

1000 feet in height over t h e

p h o n e or a c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m

cut railroad w r e n c h e s , colored

way") was a r o u t e for c o m m e r -

R e s e r v o i r ; and W h i t e N i g h t ,

provided at w w w . a m o d a l . n e t .

c o n c r e t e pavers, m o d e l e d t e r r a -

cial travelers and religious pil-

w h i c h f o r m e d canopies of

I n t e n d e d recipients also received

cotta panels o f historic imagery,

grims, w h i l e t h e Wasser Strasse

b r i g h t w h i t e light. F r o m S e p -

an e-mail message i n f o r m i n g

and glazed tile murals d e p i c t i n g

( " w a t e r street") referenced t h e

tember 9 through December

t h e m that "a message is waiting

a vanishing rail yard,

s u b t e r r a n e a n stream b e n e a t h t h e

14, 2 0 0 3 a collection of C u o -

in the sky o f Y a m a g u c h i . " All

[following page t o p Nature Made,

city and the path m a p p e d by its

Qiang's g u n p o w d e r drawings

submissions were logged at t h e

Hand Made: Icons on Level 168

unseen flow to t h e R u h r River.

was o n display at the Asia Soci-

project's w e b site in a virtual

Image courtesy David Dahlquist]

ety and M u s e u m . Light Cycle

e n v i r o n m e n t that s h o w e d t h e m

was curated by Creative T i m e ,

in t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l patterns of Brownian motion,

N e w York C i t y and the Central

[above Photo courtesy YCAM]

Pleasure initiative, and e n g i neered w i t h Fireworks by Gucci, [ b o t t o m right]

Waterway, Hell Weg/Wasser

Weg,

was unveiled S e p t e m b e r 20,

Park Conservancy, sponsored by the H a a g e n - D a z s Art of Pure

Lighting artist LENI SCHWENDINGER's latest public a r t w o r k , Glowing

presented in c o n j u n c t i o n with

Several recent w o r k s by DAVID

2 0 0 3 in U n n a , G e r m a n y . T h i s

DAHLQUIST involve lighting fix-

e p h e m e r a l lighting installation

tures. Nature Made, Hand

was designed to recall t h e flow

Made:

Icons on Level 768 is installed in the C h a r l o t t e C o n v e n t i o n C e n -

AMODAL SUSPENSION, an interactive

ter in Charlotte, N . C . H i g h - d e f -

installation by R a f a e l L o z a n o -

inition. plasma-cut, pattern-steel

H e m m e r , t o o k place f r o m

panels are back-lit against sand-

N o v e m b e r 1 - 2 4 , 2 0 0 3 at the

blasted Plexiglas panels. T h e

Yamaguchi C e n t e r for Arts and

images create a sixty-seven-foot

Media in J a p a n . T h e exhibit

b a n n e r o n the east and west ele-

consisted of projections by

vations to an interior m e z z a -

robotically-controlled search-

nine. Alternating b e t w e e n

lights that were activated by cell

nature a n d technology, the

p h o n e or c o m p u t e r text m e s -

images also f o r m t h e physical

sages. T h e s e messages, rather

railing to t h e mezzanine. Com-

than b e i n g sent directly, were

munication: By Hand, Word, and

e n c o d e d as a series of flashes by

Image at the Iowa S c h o o l for the

the searchlights and projected

D e a f in C o u n c i l Bluffs, Iowa,

o n t o the night sky above t h e

includes t w e l v e - f o o t steel col-

Y C A M . Each light s e q u e n c e

u m n light fixtures and large

c o n t i n u e d to circulate until the

custom-glazed ceramic tile murals. C r e a t i n g a D i s t r i c t / 5 t h

T h e installation used t w o f o r m s of i l l u m i n a t i o n : s i d e - e m i t t i n g

of w a t e r and footsteps that have

fiberoptics to establish r i p p l e shaped, linear festoons, and stencil projections to create a d i m e n s i o n a l space. Trees and streetlight poles r e d e f i n e d t h e Wasser Strasse e d g e t h r o u g h c o n t i n u o u s , illuminated, a q u a m a r i n e lines and u n d u l a t i n g

LIGHT

PROJECTS

T e m e n i d e s and S t e f a n o M a r -

m e n t e d by seven smaller h y p e r -

rano, architects with R e n z o

spheres, each illuminated by a

Piano Atelier in Paris; Joshua

separate lamp. T h e w h o l e c o m -

Fried, a digital music c o m p o s e r

position, including light sources,

f r o m N e w York; a n d Marcus

is suspended f r o m a steel f r a m e

T h i e b a u x , a system p r o g r a m m e r

on t h e a t r i u m ceiling.

f r o m the I n f o r m a t i o n Sciences Institute at U S C in Los Angeles. [below left]

ODYSSEY 2001, in t h e C h a r l o t t e , N . C . Bank of A m e r i c a T e c h n o l ogy C e n t e r , integrates h o l o g r a -

STORIES FROM LIGHTâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;TOLD AND

phy by R u d i e B e r k h o u t w i t h a

UNTOLDâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;A CONTINUOUS JOURNEY was

painting by Ward B o s . T h e w o r k

installed in 2001 in t h e W o m e n

consists of three painted panels

and Babies Hospital of Lancaster

and twelve reflection h o l o -

G e n e r a l in Massachusetts. Artist

grams, w h i c h makes this t w o

S t e p h e n K n a p p calls these

dimensional w o r k appear to

pieces "lightpaintings," and

j u m p o u t toward the viewer,

signed this particular piece in

b e c k o n i n g to be t o u c h e d .

l i g h t . T h e installation c o m b i n e s

Standing before the w o r k , o n e

stainless steel, dichroic glass, and

has a feeling of b e i n g placed

halogen lights o n the ceiling of

inside an infinitely deep, m a g i -

a rotunda space. T h e light

cal u n d e r w a t e r w o r l d . T h e

reflecting off the dichroic glass

v i e w e r s m o v e m e n t s interact

creates a full s p e c t r u m of colors

with the holograms, w h o s e

that enliven the ceiling space

character changes according to

p r o j e c t e d forms. For Dreaming in

glass h o v e r i n g b e t w e e n ceiling

and c h a n g e d e p e n d i n g o n one's

t h e angle of light striking t h e m

Color, w h i c h o p e n e d o n A u g u s t

and floor. Projected t h r o u g h

v i e w p o i n t , [below right Photo

and t h e viewer's approach, giv-

2, 2 0 0 3 , S c h w e n d i n g e r illumi-

f o u r transparent walls o n t o the

courtesy Stephen Knapp]

ing an illusion of space.

nated n i n e m e t a l - m e s h scrims

sphere will be films of the sun's

installed along the 3 0 0 - f o o t

ultraviolet emissions. T h e s e will

Paul Friedlander's MAKING WAVES!! is

p r o m e n a d e leading to M a r i o n

be a c c o m p a n i e d by s o u n d tracks

an 8 0 - f o o t kinetic light sculp-

O. M c C a w Hall at t h e Seattle

inspired by sun-related sonic,

ture in the hexagonal a t r i u m

seismic, and m a g n e t i c data as

lobby of the Singapore Science

C e n t e r in Seattle, Wash. SUNBURSTS, an interdisciplinary w o r k c o n c e i v e d of by a team of artists and scientists, intends to create an experiential awareness o f the sun's energy. Installed in a large d a r k e n e d space, Sunbursts will consist of a large transluc e n t sphere o f c r u m p l e d

fiber-

well as o t h e r c o m p u t e r - c o n -

C e n t e r . T h e sculpture uses a

trolled m u l t i m e d i a effects acti-

rotating string, illuminated by a

vated by spectators walking

4 0 0 0 - w a t t chromastrobic H M I

a r o u n d the e x h i b i t . T h e team

light source b o r r o w e d from

consists of A t h e n a Tacha, a

Pink Floyd, and a mylar mirror.

sculptor f r o m Washington, D.C.;

T h e profile of the string is cre-

Jean Francois H o c h e d e z , a solar

ated by a rotating m o t o r g o v -

physicist f r o m t h e Royal O b s e r -

e r n e d by a c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m .

vatory in Brussels; A n n e - H e l e n e

T h e main wave form is c o m p l e -

[Listing copy courtesy jie Chen]

LIGHT

PROJECTS

feet) facade d u r i n g t h e darker m o n t h s , N o v e m b e r to April. O n N o v e m b e r 11 T i m O t t o R o t h started t h e p r o j e c t I SEE WHAT I SEE NOT at the I n t e r n e t Art Facade. In c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h t h e L e n b a c h h a u s art m u s e u m h e developed a c o n c e p t that shows e x t r e m e views o f a s t r o n o m y and particle physics. Each of t h e seventy-six R G B - e l e m e n t s can b e directed via the I n t e r n e t . F o r further information e-mail info@art-facade.com. T h e Kunsthaus, an art m u s e u m of the plane. T h e viewers walk

c o l d - c a t h o d e tubes to add

in Graz, Austria, designed by

artist E r w i n R e d l brings his

w i t h i n the g r i d of lights disap-

intensity and c o l o r - c h a n g i n g

Peter C o o k and C o l i n F o u r n i e r

training in electronic music

p e a r i n g u n d e r or r e e m e r g i n g

d y n a m i c fields to t h e building's

(Spacelab C o o k - F o u r n i e r ) , is

c o m p o s i t i o n and c o m p u t e r

above t h e light plane w h e n

architecture.

aptly n i c k n a m e d THE FRIENDLY

graphics to bear on MATRIX, a

crossing eyelevel. Each step

[below left Photo courtesy Peter

ALIEN. A d o u b l e - l a y e r e d acrylic-

series of lighting installations.

b e c o m e s a conscious act of

Fink. Listing copy courtesy Marc

glass skin f o r m s t h e s t r u c t u r e for

U s i n g thousands of l i g h t - e m i t -

repositioning oneself w i t h i n t h e

Dyble]

a c o m m u n i c a t i v e display o n t h e

ting diodes s t r u n g t o g e t h e r in a

Euclidian maze.

lattice g r i d of thin c o p p e r wire,

[above Photo by Erwin Redl. Listing

T h e H o u s e of C o m m u n i c a t i o n

B I X by its creators at R e a l i -

R e d l c o m b i n e s the digital e x p e -

copy courtesy Jonas Concepcion]

b u i l d i n g in M u n i c h , G e r m a n y is

ties:United, is a f o r t y - f i v e - m e t e r

N e w York based m u l t i m e d i a

r i e n c e w i t h the architectural OUT Of DARKNESS, by Peter Fink

environment.

and Igor M a r k o of A r t 2 A r c h i -

T h e installation MATRIX XII is a sloped plane of small blue L E D lights situated in the vast dark space of the f o r m e r Ice Plant building at t h e C h i n a t i F o u n d a tion in M a r f a . T x . 800 LEDs are aligned in a t w e n t y - e i g h t - i n c h square grid of 120 by 5 0 feet. T h e plane is tilted in b o t h axial horizontal directions. It starts at t w o feet b e l o w eye level at the b e g i n n i n g and stretches to t w o feet above eye level at the end

tecture, was p e r m a n e n t l y installed in 2001 at W o l v e r h a m p t o n University's Art and Design School in the U K as part of a series of light installations in t h e city. T h e 1960s facade of the M K building conies to life at night, providing a visual stimulus to the university and the city. U s e d as b o t h a public art display and teaching tool, the piece employs eightyf o u r individually p r o g r a m m e d

east facade. T h e display, called

h o m e to t h e Serviceplan G r o u p

by t w e n t y - m e t e r l o w - r e s o l u t i o n

for Innovative C o m m u n i c a t i o n ,

media display i n t e g r a t e d w i t h

and has t h e world's first facade

t h e activities in the b u i l d i n g a n d

that can b e fashioned via t h e

controlled by a c o m p u t e r o p e r -

I n t e r n e t . U s i n g specially

ating system. For m o r e i n f o r m a -

designed software, the c o l o r o f

tion visit w w w . a r c s p a c e . c o m .

seventy-six light panels spread

[Listing copy courtesy Wendy Fuji-

over sixty-three square m e t e r s

naka. below Photo courtesy

can be c h a n g e d f r o m a n y w h e r e

www.arcspace.com]

in the world. Every year, an artist of i n t e r n a t i o n a l standing is invited by Serviceplan to visualize an idea for t h e I n t e r n e t Art Facade. T h e w o r k of art will be p r e s e n t e d o n t h e seven by n i n e m e t e r ( t w e n t y - t h r e e by thirty

LISTINGS

•••

CORRECTION

children, including a newly

T r a u r i g also received the first-

toric English Lake District " p e r -

established C o m m u n i t y Arts

ever Public Art N e t w o r k Award

f o r m " the district, and that p e r -

R e s o u r c e s F u n d . License plate

in J u n e of 2003.

f o r m a n c e has shifted f r o m

In the last issue of Public Art

images w e r e taken f r o m A More

Review, #29, in Erica Pearson's

Abundant

article o n t h e Lower M a n h a t t a n

and Public Art in New Mexico by

Cultural Council, Jn. Ulrick

Jacqueline H o e f e r .

Life: New Deal Artist

D e s e r t was incorrectly referred

•••

PUBLICATIONS

acting o u t the duties of English citizenship to acting o u t desires for self-realization. Nicola

CULTURES AND SETTLEMENTS edited

K i r k h a m explicates t h e film

by M a l c o m Miles and Nicola

F u n n y B o n e s to interrogate t h e

to as U l r i c k D e s e r t . T h e full

O n January 6, 2004, t h e W o r l d

K i r k h a m (Portland, O r e . : Intel-

n o t i o n of social class in a seaside

n a m e o f j n . U l r i c k Desert's

Trade C e n t e r Site M e m o r i a l

lect B o o k s , 2003, $39.95, paper).

resort. Architect Friedrich von

piece for the L o w e r M a n h a t t a n

C o m p e t i t i o n J u r y selected

T h i s is t h e third v o l u m e in

Bories analyzes t h e implications

C u l t u r a l Council's Points of

Michael Arad and Peter Walker's

Intellect's Advances in Art and

of Berlin's N i k e t o w n , in w h i c h

E n t r y series is " T h e B u r q a P r o -

design Reflecting Absence f r o m a

U r b a n Futures series. T h e b o o k

the multinational c o r p o r a t i o n

j e c t : O n T h e Borders O f M y

g r o u p of 5,201 entries. Arad, an

asks h o w cultural f r a m e w o r k s

appropriates street-level expres-

Dreams I Encountered My

assistant architect for t h e N e w

i n f o r m patterns of settlement

sion to create its o w n culture.

Doubles' Ghost."

York City H o u s i n g Authority,

and h o w t h e built e n v i r o n m e n t ,

P h i l o s o p h e r Habil Jan H a r t m a n

and Walker, of California's l a n d -

as process and design, c o n d i t i o n s

considers t h e typical East E u r o -

scape architectural firm Peter

cultural p r o d u c t i o n and r e c e p -

pean university campus as a

Walker & Partners, originally

tion. It is divided into three sec-

ghost t o w n . Part T h r e e includes

s u b m i t t e d individual designs. At

tions: C u l t u r e and Policy, Place

several accounts by artists of

the jury's suggestion, they

Identity, and Cultural Practices.

their w o r k , several of w h i c h

decided to collaborate. T h e i r

M o s t of the c o n t r i b u t i o n s are

were participatory efforts.

design calls for t w o reflecting

revisions of papers given at s e m -

pools in t h e t o w e r footprints,

inars and conferences. A u t h o r s

thirty feet b e l o w grade. It

represent a variety of academic

includes low shrubs, paved

and professional disciplines:

walkways, and a grove of trees.

architecture, sociology, g e o g r a -

Entries to the c o m p e t i t i o n may

phy, cultural studies, urban

•••

NEWS BRIEF T h e P u e r t o R i c o Public Art P r o j e c t is a $25 million project that will eventually f u n d over ninety w o r k s of art in public spaces. Proposals w e r e first solicited f r o m P u e r t o R i c a n artists a n d w e r e evaluated by a g r o u p of twelve cultural critics representing a variety of professional areas. Later t h e call for proposals was e x t e n d e d to i n t e r national artists.

b e viewed at w w w . w t c s i t e -

design, theater, media arts. In

memorial.org.

Part O n e researcher G r a e m e Evans looks at cultural p l a n n i n g

Project organizers have i d e n t i -

•••

fied a variety of locales w h e r e

OBITUARY

artworks will be sited, i n c l u d i n g the coast and beaches of t h e

H a r r i e t Traurig, director of the

in East L o n d o n to explore w h a t happens w h e n urban renewal programs are n o t aligned w i t h

• • •

CONFERENCES T h e ARTS IN THE AIRPORT WORKSHOP will take place M a y 16-18, 2 0 0 4 at the Renaissance Scottsdale R e s o r t in Scottsdale, Ariz. T h e w o r k s h o p is designed to help a i r p o r t personnel involved w i t h art programs to i n c o r p o r a t e art in their facilities, p u r s u e

finan-

cial and public relations support,

San Jose Public Art P r o g r a m

the cultures of t h e areas

since 1999, died at h e r h o m e in

affected. Sociologist J u d i t h

San Francisco o n January 17,

Kapferer examines three E u r o -

2 0 0 4 at t h e age of 54. P r i o r to

pean "cultural c i t i e s " — A v i -

her tenure in San Jose, she

g n o n , B e r g e n , and

w o r k e d as in i n d e p e n d e n t c o n -

Bologna—where indigenous

sultant. F r o m 1981 to 1984 she

practices are p r o m o t e d to

was p r o g r a m director for t h e

enhance economic growth,

Tennessee Arts C o m m i s s i o n ,

o f t e n at the expense of grass-

and f r o m 1984 to 1989 she

roots efforts. Brazilian Denise

served as executive director of

M o r e a d o N a s c i m e n t o questions

the F o r u m for C o n t e m p o r a r y

t h e h o u s i n g policies of states

Art in Saint Louis, M o . D u r i n g

that ignore the role of p o o r

the early 1990s she oversaw the

p e o p l e in designing and b u i l d -

public art c o m p o n e n t of

ing settlements. G e o g r a p h e r

M e t r o L i n k , t h e Saint Louis-area

T i m Hall looks at public art

The N e w Mexico Community

light-rail system. M s . T r a u r i g

criticism to re-envision the role

F o u n d a t i o n has p r o d u c e d a

was b o r n in D e t r o i t . She

of public art in B i r m i n g h a m ,

series of vanity license plates

received an M B A in arts a d m i n -

England. In Part Two, art critic

that will help f u n d c o m m u n i t y

istration f r o m N e w York U n i -

and historian Paul U s h e r w o o d

THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MURAL

arts p r o g r a m s for N e w Mexico's

versity at Stony B r o o k . Ms.

argues that visitors to t h e his-

ART will take place J u n e 3 - 6 ,

C a r i b b e a n , the m o u n t a i n s , h i g h ways and bridges, t h e C a m u y Caves, train stations, and urban festivals. In addition, artists were asked to s u b m i t proposals relati n g to s p o r t s m e n / w o m e n , recycling, a n d t h e I n t e r n e t . A m o n g t h e international artists selected are A n t o n i o M u n t a d a s . A n n H a m i l t o n , J o r g e Pardo, M i n g Fay,Tom O t t e r n e s s . J o h n A h e a r n , R i g o b e r t o Torres, and R e d G r o o m s . For f u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n , visit w w w . a r t e p u b l i c o . puertorico.pr.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . Spring.Summer.04

and discuss t h e latest trends and issues in airport art. Topics will include e x h i b i t i o n lighting, n e w technology, f u n d i n g sources and selection processes, installation techniques, legal issues, and retail art s t o r e s . T h e w o r k s h o p begins w i t h a w e l c o m e r e c e p tion and early registration at 5:30 p . m . o n May 16. Sessions r u n f r o m 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. o n M a y 17 and 1 8 . T h e cost is $400, or $335 for A A A E m e m bers. For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a c t G r e g M a m a r y at 7 0 3 8 2 4 - 0 5 0 4 , ext. 176 or greg.mamary@airportnet.org, or visit w w w . a i r p o r t n e t . o r g .

LISTINGS

/ RECENT

PROJECTS

2 0 0 4 at t h e R a d i s s o n Plaza W a r -

T h e OELRAY BEACH CULTURAL LOOP is

into artworks on thirty-two

w i c k H o t e l in Philadelphia, Pa.

a 1 . 3 - m i l e w a l k i n g trail in

light poles a l o n g t h e L o o p .

T h e c o n f e r e n c e will e x p l o r e t h e

d o w n t o w n Delray B e a c h , Fla., a

i n t e r s e c t i o n o f art, public policy,

city o f 6 0 , 0 0 0 b e t w e e n Fort

and c o m m u n i t y d e v e l o p m e n t

Lauderdale and West Palm

t h r o u g h panels, presentations,

Beach o n t h e southeast coast o f

and case studies o f successful

Florida. T h e L o o p is an a t t e m p t

mural p r o j e c t s . T h e e v e n t is

t o link t h e cultural history a n d

s p o n s o r e d by t h e Philadelphia

c o n t e m p o r a r y life o f t h e w h i t e ,

Department of Recreation's

black, a n d i m m i g r a n t c o m m u n i -

M u r a l Arts P r o g r a m . F o r m o r e

ties of Delray B e a c h . F r o m

i n f o r m a t i o n o r t o register,

N o v e m b e r 22, 2 0 0 3 t h r o u g h

c o n t a c t B r i a n C a m p b e l l at

M a y 15, 2 0 0 4 it i n c l u d e s p u b l i c

215-685-0739 or

art installations by a d o z e n

info@muralsarts.org.

s o u t h Florida artists. G e o r g e Gadson's The Resiliency

PUBLIC ART: CIVIC CATALYST, a public art c o n f e r e n c e of p A R T i c i p a t e 2 0 0 4 , is part o f t h e c o n v e n t i o n o f A m e r i c a n s for t h e Arts and t h e N a t i o n a l Assembly o f State Arts Agencies. It takes place July 1 5 - 1 6 , 2 0 0 4 at t h e O m n i S h o r e h a m H o t e l in W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . T h e c o n f e r e n c e will e x p l o r e public art as a t o o l f o r d e v e l o p i n g cultural i d e n t i t y and civic space, t h e role o f m e m o r i als in t h e history a n d e v o l u t i o n of A m e r i c a n public art, and t h e influence of new technologies on the interpretation and m e d i a t i o n of p u b l i c space. To register o r f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , visit www.pARTicipateWeb.org.

by t h e F a i r m o u n t Park A r t Association f o r t h e P e n n y p a c k E n v i r o n m e n t a l C e n t e r in n o r t h east P h i l a d e l p h i a , Pa. It consists o f several large-scale w o o d e n s t r u c t u r e s nestled a l o n g t h e trails in t h e P e n n y p a c k section o f F a i r m o u n t Park. Built t o t h e

W a l d e n P o n d , Thoreau's Hut is open to the elements and c o n tains s e a t i n g a n d a s y m b o l i c

strength of A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n s that shared t h e Y a m a t o c o l o n y area a n d w e r e displaced t o D e l ray B e a c h in 1942. S h a r o n K o s k o f f c o o r d i n a t e d The

EMBODYING THOREAU: DWELLING, SITTING, WATCHING is a p u b l i c art p r o j -

d i m e n s i o n s o f T h o r e a u ' s c a b i n at

a sculpture exploring the

h e a r t h . T h e t h r e e Benches w e r e inspired f r o m t h e passage in Walden w h e r e T h o r e a u declared " I had t h r e e chairs in m y h o u s e ;

Open

Door Project, w h i c h involved v o l u n t e e r artists f r o m all e t h n i c b a c k g r o u n d s creatively p a i n t i n g over 100 d o n a t e d d o o r s . R i c k Lowe's Talking Trees consists o f stories w r i t t e n o n w o o d p l a q u e s and h u n g f r o m b r a n c h e s o f trees a l o n g t h e L o o p , w h i l e his Preserved History consists o f p h o t o graphs o f c o m m u n i t y residents placed in jars a l o n g t h e L o o p .

the lobby of the Health Services b u i l d i n g . T h e installation c o n -

e c t by E d L e v i n e c o m m i s s i o n e d

Factor is

ENOUGH, NOT ENOUGH is l o c a t e d in

o n e f o r solitude, t w o f o r f r i e n d ship, t h r e e f o r society." In Bird Blind, visitors are e n c o u r a g e d t o o b s e r v e t h e u r b a n wildlife a n d reflect o n h u m a n relationships with the animal world. T h e

sists o f a t w e l v e - f o o t w o v e n steel basket filled w i t h fiberglass forms suggesting various f o o d p r o d u c t s , seed p o d s , a n d o t h e r shapes f r o m n a t u r e . T h e f o r m s w e r e cast b y M a n u e l Palos S c u l p t u r e Services o f San F r a n cisco. T h e steel basket, f a b r i c a t e d by C h u c k Splady A r t S t u d i o s o f O a k l a n d , is m o u n t e d o n a sphere, w h i c h reflects t h e b a l a n c i n g acts t h a t d e f i n e m o d e r n life. T h e basket was i n s p i r e d b y the M a i d u tribe of the Sacram e n t o Valley, k n o w n f o r t h e i r skill in basket m a k i n g . Its s h a p e e c h o e s t h e c a t e n a r y arch o f t h e w i n d o w s in t h e H e a l t h Services b u i l d i n g . W e b e r has e x h i b i t e d large-scale w o r k s in c a r d b o a r d , fiberglass, a n d b r o n z e at v e n u e s s u c h as t h e O a k l a n d M u s e u m , San J o s e M u s e u m o f A r t , a n d the R i c h m o n d Art Center, [below Photo courtesy Ann Weber]

i n t e r i o r reflects standard a r c h i t e c t u r e , w h i l e t h e e x t e r i o r is m e a n t t o suggest a w o v e n n e t . [below Photo by Gregory Benson ÂŠ2003 Courtesy Fairmount Park Art Association]

FLOATING WORLD is t h e p u b l i c art c o m p o n e n t o f Scottsdale. A r i zona's n e w $ 5 . 4 m i l l i o n E l d o r a d o Park A q u a t i c a n d Fitness C e n t e r . Los A n g e l e s artists

C h a r o O q u e t ' s The Trickster's Bay Area artist A n n W e b e r

Sylvia T i d w e l l a n d C a l v i n A b e

h o u s i n g t h e deity Elegua, a t w o -

recently c o m p l e t e d a c o m m i s -

were commissioned by the

faced figure l o o k i n g f o r w a r d

sion f o r t h e state o f C a l i f o r n i a

Scottsdale P u b l i c A r t P r o g r a m .

and b a c k w a r d at crossroads. J o d y

and t h e C a p i t o l Area East E n d

Floating World r e p r e s e n t s t h e

Servon's Illume consists o f L o o p -

C o m p l e x in S a c r a m e n t o , t h e

artists' a t t e m p t t o create a transi-

area p h o t o g r a p h s t r a n s f o r m e d

largest p u b l i c o f f i c e b u i l d i n g

tion from the surrounding envi-

p r o j e c t in C a l i f o r n i a history.

r o n m e n t to the pool. Natural

Dwelling is a m o b i l e s c u l p t u r e

i m a g e s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; e a r t h , water, c l o u d s â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

tion. Holup's previous c o m m i s -

are i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o a variety

sions in N e w York C i t y i n c l u d e

o f artistic f o r m s . F o r e x a m p l e ,

Rwer that Flows Two Ways (2000),

t h e l o b b y c e i l i n g has b e e n m a d e

in B a t t e r y Park, and

t o l o o k like t h e sky t h r o u g h t h e

Ground,

addition of eighteen pillow-like

tion of t h e B r o o k l y n Q u e e n s

fiberglass sculptures in t h e shape

Expressway, w h i c h will b e c o m -

o f c u m u l o - c i r r u s clouds. A

pleted in 2 0 0 4 a n d is t h e largest

winding "river" of Lithocrete

p u b l i c art p r o j e c t ever c o m m i s -

extends through the lobby and

s i o n e d by N e w York State.

Common

along the reconstruc-

traverses t h e p o o l d e c k t o t h e edge of the property. This

RICHFORD, VT: A COMMUNITY SELF-PORTRAIT

p a t e n t e d process allows c o n c r e t e

is an e x h i b i t o f p h o t o g r a p h s a n d

t o b e e m b e d d e d w i t h glass m a r -

postcards that portrays t h e c o m -

bles, seashells, stones, a n d small

m u n i t y t h r o u g h t h e eyes o f its

tiles in v a r i o u s shades o f aqua,

citizens. It o p e n e d N o v e m b e r

red, blue, p u r p l e , g r e e n , a n d

2 0 , 2 0 0 3 at t h e R i c h f o r d H i s -

white.

torical S o c i e t y M u s e u m . T h e e x h i b i t was p a r t of a c o m m u -

O n O c t o b e r 16, 2 0 0 3 , L e h m a n College, part of the City U n i versity o f N e w York, d e d i c a t e d INTERSECTIONS by N e w York artist W o p o H o l u p . T h e installation begins with a bronze owl, p e r c h e d o n t h e wall of t h e c a m pus's n e w M a i n G a t e , w h i c h c o m p l e m e n t s an o l d e r o w l l o c a t e d h i g h o n n e a r b y Gillet Hall. F r o m t h e gate, p e d e s t r i a n s m o v e a l o n g a paved w a l k w a y t o a plaza. Strips o f b l u e s t o n e a l o n g t h e w a l k w a y are e t c h e d w i t h o v e r seventy inscriptions, i n c l u d i n g q u o t a t i o n s , images, a n d s y m b o l s , all o f w h i c h w e r e c o n t r i b u t e d by L e h m a n faculty a n d t h e n a r r a n g e d by t h e artist i n t o six clusters: T h e H e a v e n s , I, We, W o r d s , T i m e , a n d O p p o s i -

n i t y - b a s e d p u b l i c art p r o j e c t along the Missiquoi River section o f t h e N o r t h e r n Forest

a b o u t life in R i c h f o r d . O v e r a

i n g p e d e s t r i a n s a n d cyclists is

Six of these w e r e p r o d u c e d as a

planted with drought-resistant,

series o f ' P o s t c a r d s f r o m t h e

i n d i g e n o u s plants such as palo

Trail" that w e r e d i s t r i b u t e d t o

verde a n d m e s q u i t e trees. At

n e i g h b o r i n g t o w n s in t h e h o p e

5 0 0 - 7 0 0 - f o o t intervals, o u t d o o r

of i n s p i r i n g o t h e r c o m m u n i t i e s

" r o o m s " are carved i n t o t h e

to u n d e r t a k e similar projects.

b e r m . For example, the Circle

Connor Playing for the Cows

R o o m is r e m i n i s c e n t of t h e

[below left Photo by Colleen Pratt,

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n kiva. C i r c u l a r

Richford,Vt.]

b e n c h e s b e l o w g r o u n d level

C a n o e Trail. It was s p o n s o r e d by

sequester o c c u p a n t s f r o m t h e

A r t & C o m m u n i t y Landscapes,

Arizona's SUNNYSLOPE CANAL BANK

a p a r t n e r s h i p of t h e N e w E n g -

DEMONSTRATION PROJECT was an

land F o u n d a t i o n f o r t h e Arts,

a t t e m p t by t h e P h o e n i x Arts

t h e N a t i o n a l l'ark Service, and

Commission to mitigate the

the National E n d o w m e n t for

effects of u r b a n sprawl by

t h e Arts, w i t h a d d i t i o n a l s u p p o r t

e n h a n c i n g 1.5 miles o f t h e 1 3 4 -

f r o m t h e V e r m o n t Arts C o u n c i l

mile A r i z o n a canal system and

and t h e L E F F o u n d a t i o n . To

r e c l a i m i n g it as a " l i n e a r p u b l i c

create t h e e x h i b i t , artists E v a n

square." N e w York landscape

H a y n e s , S t e p h e n D i g n a z i o , and

architect Paul F r i e d b e r g and

R o n S m i t h d i s t r i b u t e d cameras

artist J a c k i e Ferrara c o l l a b o r a t e d

a n d j o u r n a l s to R i c h f o r d c o m -

t o design a t w o - f o o t b e r m as a

m u n i t y m e m b e r s and invited

p l a n t e d m e d i a n a l o n g t h e canal's

t h e m to p h o t o g r a p h and w r i t e

n o r t h b a n k , leaving r o o m for a

a b o u t t h e p e o p l e , places, o b j e c t s ,

pedestrian promenade and a

traditions, a n d activities that s h o w w h a t is m o s t m e a n i n g f u l

bicycle p a t h . T h e b e r m separat-

thousand images were collected.

s u r r o u n d i n g landscape. In t h e T i m e R o o m , a tilted s e m i c i r c u lar sundial of p a t t e r n e d red, sand, a n d black stones is d e f i n e d by a l o w s t o n e seating wall w i t h an o p e n i n g in t h e center. T h r o u g h the opening three steps rise to a s t o n e p l a t f o r m . By standing on the platform, the v i e w e r casts a s h a d o w that acts as stylus of t h e sundial. In t h e W a t e r Table R o o m , a m a p of t h e a n c i e n t H o h o k a m canal syst e m is carved o n t h e surface of a f o u r by t e n - f o o t slab of stone.

W a t e r r u n s periodically over t h e

o r d i n a r y pedestrians. T h e

map, p o o l i n g in t h e arteries

slightly b a c k w a r d g l a n c e o f t h e

E l m e r J a c k s o n , Elias C l a y t o n ,

G a n d h i , Elie Wiesel and o t h e r s ,

until it evaporates. A n e w b o o k

figures in t h e p h o t o g r a p h s i n d i -

a n d Isaac M c G h i e , t h r e e y o u n g

and t h r e e s e v e n - f o o t high b r o n z e

has beeii p u b l i s h e d detailing t h e

cates an awareness that t h e y are

black circus w o r k e r s w h o w e r e

sculptures o f y o u n g m e n in t h e i r

project, [opposite page below

being observed. Walking Behind

falsely accused o f rape and t h e n

S u n d a y best. T h r e e D u l u t h resi-

right Photo by Craig Smith

is a p r o j e c t o f t h e San Francisco

l y n c h e d in D u l u t h in 1920 w h i l e

dents w e r e t h e m o d e l s for t h e

Courtesy Phoenix Office of Arts and

Arts C o m m i s s i o n ' s A r t o n M a r -

a c r o w d of 1 0 , 0 0 0 l o o k e d o n .

faces o f C l a y t o n , J a c k s o n , a n d

Culture]

ket Street P r o g r a m .

T h e small park will fill a d o w n -

M c G h i e . T h e city o f D u l u t h

t o w n c o r n e r near w h e r e t h e

funded a portion of the m e m o -

m e n w e r e killed. Carla Stetson is

rial t h r o u g h p e r c e n t - f o r - a r t

a D u l u t h sculptor a n d designer.

funds, and f o u n d a t i o n s , D u l u t h

S h e designed t h e m e m o r i a l plaza

businesses, and residents raised

WALKING BEHIND is a series o f a r t -

C a t h e y Billian's BIPLANAR ARRIVAL

w o r k s c r e a t e d by C a l i f o r n i a

is a p r o j e c t for t h e P h o e n i x -

artist K e r r y L o e w e n for kiosks o n San Francisco's M a r k e t Street. It was installed F e b r u a r y

D e e r Valley M u n i c i p a l A i r p o r t in A r i z o n a . T h e installation c o n sists of irregular sheets o f dis-

16, 2 0 0 4 a n d c o n t i n u e s until

tressed c o p p e r s u s p e n d e d o n

M a y 1 3 . T h e e x h i b i t features

wires in t h e a i r p o r t lobby. T h e y

c l o s e - u p p h o t o g r a p h s taken f r o m b e h i n d M a r k e t Street pedestrians. T h e i n t e n d e d effect is to m a k e viewers feel like t h e y

are flanked by a t u b u l a r stainless steel g r i d , p u n c t u a t e d by cobalt blue light sources. B y day, t h e c o p p e r pieces are i l l u m i n a t e d by

are w a l k i n g b e h i n d t h e p e o p l e

natural light; by n i g h t , they are

in the images. W h i l e L o e w e n

p u n c t u a t e d by c o l o r - f i l t e r e d

has suggested that t h e i n d i v i d u -

b e a m s o f light.

als p h o t o g r a p h e d for this series represent six t y p e s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h e Suit, D r a g Q u e e n , Artist, K i n g , Tourist, a n d S t u d e n t â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h e y are n o t r e c o g n i z a b l e o t h e r t h a n as

a n d walls and created t h e b r o n z e

t h e rest o f t h e $ 2 7 0 , 0 0 0 n e e d e d .

figures. A n t h o n y P e y t o n - P o r t e r

Lamar Advertising donated the

is a radio c o m m e n t a t o r , w r i t e r ,

land and m o v e d billboards for

editor, and publisher. H e selected

t h e m e m o r i a l site. T h e d e d i c a -

the q u o t a t i o n s f o r t h e m e m o r i a l

tion d r e w t h o u s a n d s of people,

and w r o t e t h e story f o r t h e wall.

including Warren Read, a

" W e collaborated o n t h e M e m o -

fourth-grade

rial because w e believe that t h e

Kingston,Wash., the great-

writings and visual language are

g r a n d s o n o f a m a n w h o led t h e

m o r e effective t o g e t h e r t h a n t h e y

m o b that s t o r m e d t h e local jail

c o u l d b e apart, t o help us c o m e

and t o o k t h e t h r e e m e n f r o m

t e a c h e r from

O n O c t o b e r 10, 2 0 0 3 , t h e city

to t e r m s w i t h t h e c o m p l e x

their cells. R e a d m a d e a p u b l i c

o f D u l u t h , M i n n . , unveiled t h e

n a t u r e o f this e v e n t . " T h e t r e e -

a p o l o g y to t h e victims a n d t h e i r

CLAYTON, JACKSON, MCGHIE MEMORIAL

filled parkhas a m e m o r i a l wall as

families, [top left page 50

c o m m e m o r a t i n g t h e deaths o f

a centerpiece, containing quotes

Photo courtesy Carla Stetson]

from M a r t i n L u t h e r K i n g Jr..

RECENT

T h e Saint Louis R e g i o n a l Arts

R o c h e s t e r Institute o f T e c h n o l -

Walk near t h e e n t r a n c e to t h e

planting. T h e f o r m e r site of the

C o m m i s s i o n recently unveiled

ogy c a m p u s in R o c h e s t e r , N.Y.

C e n t r a l Park Z o o . H e has cre-

g e n e r a t o r for t h e p o w e r plant

KARDIA, a p e r m a n e n t architectural

T h e sculpture was dedicated

ated a life-size tiger, m a d e of

has b e c o m e the Water R o o m .

art glass installation by William

J u n e 16, 2 0 0 3 . T h e 1 1 0 - t o n

h a n d - c a r v e d and polished

S o m e water is diverted f r o m the

C o c h r a n , at its n e w h e a d q u a r -

sculpture stands s e v e n t y - t w o

glass, s u r r o u n d e d by large

canal into t w o n e w aqueducts at

ters in Saint Louis, M o . T h e t e n -

feet high and was e x e c u t e d in

objects m o d e l e d after the toys

each side of the r o o m that

f o o t m u l t i c o l o r e d w o r k of

f o r m e d and fabricated w e a t h e r -

given to large animals in captiv-

release water back into the canal

a c i d - e t c h e d , m o u t h - b l o w n glass

ing steel, stainless steel, and

ity. At t h e A n d r e w Haswell

creating a pair of waterfalls. At

is integrated i n t o t h e building's

bronze. It is believed to be the

G r e e n M e m o r i a l , David A l m e j d

t h e rear of t h e Water R o o m , a

f o u r - s t o r y east wall. T h e w o r k is

largest sculpture o n any A m e r i -

has t w o oversized w e r e w o l f

curtain of water falls over the

designed to b e seen f r o m b o t h

can campus. Sentinel stands in

heads, five feet in length and

r e m a i n i n g gears and shafts f r o m

sides and has five distinct p e r -

the c e n t e r of a n e w pedestrian

e n c r u s t e d w i t h glitter, pearls,

t h e old generators. T h e path

sonalities, d e p e n d i n g o n v i e w -

plaza near t h e univeristy's m a i n

rhinestones, and crystals. T h e y

leading to the Water R o o m

ing angle and t i m e o f day.

entrance. Paley holds the C h a r -

are c o n t a i n e d in Plexiglas cases,

takes visitors directly u n d e r t h e

C o c h r a n asked local residents t o

lotte Frederick M o w r i s profes-

apparently preserving t h e m in

waterfalls, continues across t h e

describe their o w n e n c o u n t e r s

sorship in c o n t e m p o r a r y crafts

different stages of d e c o m p o s i -

island, and ramps u p across

w i t h art and artists, t h e n wove

at R I T .

tion. O n April 17, three a d d i -

fragments of their responses into

[Top left page 51]

tional works o p e n e d . Garden

t h e p a t t e r n of text e t c h e d i n t o Kardia's exterior. T h e piece was

T h e WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN

fabricated by D e r i x Glasstudios

ART AND THE PUBLIC ART FUND are

in Taunusstein, G e r m a n y .

collaborating to present n i n e

[Top right page 50 Photo

installations by seven artists

courtesy William Cochran]

t h r o u g h o u t C e n t r a l Park, f r o m 60th Street to 110th Street for

PROJECTS

fiber-

riparian terraces to a n e w 10,

pedestrian b r i d g e that crosses to

by assume vivid astro focus, is a

the n o r t h b a n k of t h e canal.

colorful vinyl sticker that serves

Details of t h e project include

as a floorscape for the Skate

five boulders f r o m each of t h e

Circle in C e n t r a l Park.Yayoi

Salt R i v e r dams, a d r i n k i n g

Kusama's untitled w o r k for t h e

f o u n t a i n c o n s t r u c t e d so spigots

C o n s e r v a t o r y Water consists of

spill into water buckets, and

several h u n d r e d floating m i r r o r

engraved reed patterns in an

balls in the p o n d . Dave Muller's

o u t d o o r p l a t f o r m also covered

Three Day Weekend is a n o t h e r in

with p o e t r y by A l b e r t o R i o s .

C o n s t r u c t i o n has b e g u n o n t h e

t h e W h i t n e y Biennial. Six works

MICHIGAN LABOR LEGACY LANDMARK in

o p e n e d M a r c h 10. T w o sculp-

d o w n t o w n D e t r o i t , a public art

tures by Paul M c C a r t h y a n c h o r

project initiated by the M i c h i -

the e x h i b i t i o n at t h e n o r t h and

gan Labor History Society. T h e

south ends of C e n t r a l Park.

c e n t e r p i e c e of t h e installation is

Daddies Bighead, sited at Lasker

a s i x t y - t h r e e - f o o t stainless steel

R i n k , is a fifty-foot-tall pink

arch, o p e n at the t o p to s y m b o l -

inflatable sculpture w i t h an

ize labor's u n f i n i s h e d w o r k ,

oversized head, b u l g i n g eyes, a

w h i c h was c o n s t r u c t e d by

carrot-shaped nose, and several

sculptor D a v i d Barr. A blue light

p r o t r u d i n g irregularities.

arcs across the b r o k e n apex of

M c C a r t h y ' s MJBH, located at

t h e arch. O n stones placed

D o r i s C . F r e e d m a n Plaza, is an

a r o u n d t h e base of the arch,

abstract representation of

T h e P h o e n i x Arts C o m m i s s i o n

stretched, and e n h a n c e d w i t h

his series of roving, i n t e r m i t t e n t

[Bottom left page 51 Photo

g r o u p exhibitions that e m p h a -

courtesy Harries/Heder]

size t h e social e x p e r i e n c e of v i e w i n g art. [Top right page 51 Daddies Bighead photo courtesy Public Art Fund, New York;Tate Modern, London; Hauser & Wirth, London/Zurich; and Luhring Augustine, New York]

Digital artist D o r o t h y Simpson Krause was c o m m i s s i o n e d to create a series of pieces to celebrate the history of t h e Federal R e s e r v e Bank of B o s t o n . Five panels, t h i r t y - t w o inches by f o r t y - e i g h t inches, and t w o large murals were p r i n t e d o n canvas,

q u o t a t i o n s a b o u t labor and

M i c h a e l Jackson sitting w i t h his

and the Salt R i v e r Project

gold leaf. T h e pieces i n c o r p o r a t e