The luminous field of Bruce Munro seems like a fairy-tale island, it is unclear how it ended up in a gray reality. Although, according to the designer himself, this is not magic, but just a new level in the development of light sculptures.
An unusual installation was created as part of the Eden Project in Cornwall (England) last winter. Typically, Bruce Munro's work consists of thousands of acrylic tubes topped with a ball. They contain optical fibers that are illuminated by an external projector, so no electricity is needed to light the tubes. To create a luminous field measuring 20x60 meters, the designer needed 6 thousand acrylic pipes, and total length The fibers used amounted to 24 thousand meters!
Light generally plays an important role in the work of Bruce Munro. "For me it natural material, which can be used,” says the designer.
Bruce was inspired to create such an installation by the Australian desert, which he saw 15 years ago. He was fascinated by the sudden appearance of flowers in the desert after a thunderstorm. Munro was also completely intrigued by the strange, oasis-like sculptures that decorated the campgrounds along the road - like giant bananas or pineapples. Amazed, he made a series of sketches, and since then the idea of displaying this beauty in his work has not left him. His Field of Light undoubtedly became the very bright flower in the impenetrable darkness of the night.
The Field of Light is a huge installation located right in the middle of nature. And just as dry seeds lie in the desert sands waiting for rain, the plants from Bruce’s installation lie dormant until darkness sets in, and then bloom in soft, mysterious colors.
British artist Bruce Munro, born 1959, studied at the Royal Western Academy, Bristol Polytechnic.
The designer's strong point is landscape lighting. Using acrylic tubes with decorative tips and optical fiber, Bruce achieves fantastic effects.
Munro's portfolio includes original lamps, lighting projects for private gardens and city streets, and much more. And from time to time his ideas result in large-scale and spectacular installations, which brought the designer well-deserved fame.
One of the most high-profile projects studio - installation Field of Light / "Field of Light" as part of the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. The installation was installed on a grass roof exhibition center and consisted of 6,000 acrylic tubes terminated with glass sphere tips containing optical fibers.
Munro and his five assistants created the work over three days. The installation is illuminated by eleven spotlights; the stems, by themselves, have no electricity. The area covered with luminous grass is 60x20 meters, 24,000 meters of optical cable were used.
Munro's luminous masterpiece was inspired by a trip to the red desert in Australia. Driving along the Stewart Highway, he stopped each night at campuses along the road, which often created a very contrasting appearance to the surrounding barren desert: oases of greenery embodying living sculptures of surreal design and proportions.
Munro was amazed natural processes in the desert: the bare scorched earth came to life and blossomed after the rain. He made a series of sketches and kept them since his college days.
The Field of Light is an alien, a stranger in the natural world. Like seeds thrown onto desert soil that wait for the rain to come to life, the optical stems wait for the darkness and, together with the lighting stars, come to life and shine, corresponding to the smooth rhythms of the night.
The Light Shower project at Salisbury Cathedral is a giant luminaire consisting of 2,000 pieces of fiber optic cable of varying lengths, illuminated by powerful spotlights.
In ancient English Salisbury, the desire to keep up with the times led to the appearance of another very unusual installation on the territory of the ancient cathedral:
Water-Towers / Water towers are assembled from 15 thousand plastic bottles filled with water, through which 69 kilometers of fiber optic cable are passed. Their shape resembles water towers, which explains the name of the project. The optical fiber is illuminated with LEDs that change color to the music, making the water columns appear to be dancing in the dark.
The main idea of the installation is Divine Light, joy, enlightenment. “Illumination” is the key word in this project.
Bruce Monroe: "I'm primarily interested in light! And how people react to it different materials. For my project, I was looking for a cheap, pliable, and, most importantly, accessible material. And it dawned on me - this is a bottle."
The rector of the cathedral thought that the installation would be made of glass. And when I found out that they would bring plastic bottles, I had to convene a church council.
Mark Boni, pastor: “I won’t explain anything! I say, go and see for yourself. Paintings and sculptures are created so that we look and think. Art begins where it is difficult to find words.”
Within a few days we got used to the “Water Towers”. In the evenings, photographers and loving couples gather near them. A new attraction has appeared in the city.
CD Sea / Sea of CDs.
Bruce Munro, with the help of the British press and BBC Wiltshire radio, appealed to readers and listeners with a request to send him unwanted CDs. People did not remain indifferent, not only the British, but also residents of other countries, and after some time, through the efforts of Bruce, another sea appeared in Britain - laid out from CDs on the grass.
On June 19-20, 2010, Bruce Munro, as well as 140 of his friends, acquaintances and colleagues began creating the installation. In a field near the village of Kilmington, they mowed a patch of grass and began laying discs in the resulting clearing. The result was an amazing “inner” sea, consisting of 600 thousand CDs), reflecting sunlight and moonlight, like small mirrors.
Bruce Munro was inspired to create this installation by the impressions he received on the seashore in Australia thirty years ago. “The light was so strong that the water seemed to glow silver. And it suddenly seemed to me that if I put my hand in the sea, it would somehow connect me to my home in Salcombe, where my father lived... I left the beach in a very good mood"- says the author. That day the boy first realized that such a familiar phenomenon as light could influence emotional condition person. The installation "CD Sea" was a recreation of that moment, which, as it later turned out, influenced the entire later life Bruce Munro.
The installation lasted for about two months, after which all the disks were collected and sent to a processing plant.
Longwood Gardens - Longwood Gardens -
called the American answer to the famous gardens of Europe and recognized as a model harmonious combination gardening, architecture, music and theater
Bruce Munro has been invited to create a large-scale exhibition, LIGHT!, which will open in the summer of 2012. For the designer this will be the first light installation in North America. The organizers promise an unforgettable spectacle.
It is assumed that the LIGHT! will include seven huge light installations in open areas, two in the premises of the Conservatory with an area of 16 thousand square meters, as well as a small exhibition of artfully illuminated sculptures.
The glowing globes, made from blown glass and plastic, will be connected by an electrical “root system” and placed in a large open area.
“Shadows are a wonderful way of self-expression for people who believe more in the variability of the world around them than in its constancy,” says Kumi Yamashita.
It is well known that installation implies installation, placement and assembly; in fact, this term is literally translated that way. It is closely related to modern art and therefore is one of its forms, representing a kind of spatial composition that is created from all kinds of elements. In art installation reaches a certain pedestal or position of an artistic whole. The pioneering installation artists are the surrealists and Marcel Duchamp.
The creation of Japanese artist Kumi Yamashita
Now that modern art is literally satiated with a variety of geometric shapes and figures, we can draw a conclusion, or a small note on the subject of what is being modified, transformed, expanded. Indeed, there is so much you can see in art galleries today, as well as on the multidimensional expanses of the Internet. But among such an abundant and somewhat hackneyed amount of works of art, the Japanese artist Kumi Yamashita simply shines with originality and her unique flavor. She surprises, amazes the viewer, reveals to the world what a light installation is, creating her powerful creativity from the most unpredictable materials.
The Japanese artist is, first of all, philosophical meaning, embedded in her extraordinary synthesis of textures, shapes and light. In fact, understanding that the author's light installation is a kind of alloy modern traditions eastern and Western world there is nothing to be surprised about. East and West have always differed in their views and way of life. Exactly in the same diverse manner interspersed with originality and adding your own figurative system in the country rising sun a play of light and shadow is born.
Fame Japanese artist brought a series of works where experiments with light and shadow take place. Light rays, blinding with their brightness, refract at an angle of objects randomly scattered on the surface, using shadows to form the depth of images. By the way, we recommend that you check it out. Real art!
Kumi Yamashita himself
To understand operating principle of light installations, just remember school years or children drawing “strips” on the folds of notebook pages. It is absolutely clear that by flipping through such a notebook at an accelerated pace, the images drawn in it will move dynamically. A similar effect lies at the heart of the dialogue created by the artist back in 1990. The light installation “Dialogue” takes place thanks to sixty profiles rotating around one axis human faces... this is how dialogue is born, or rather the effect of individuals talking to each other.
Also no less famous works Kumi Yamashita can be considered portraits created on credit cards from inscriptions, and behind each of which there is a living person. They depict people of different races and ages. When viewed from a distance, each portrait looks like an ordinary graphic work, however, when viewed at close range, it is not difficult to discern names, surnames and columns of numbers.
Kumi Yamashita is an opportunity to look on the other side of the “curtain”. The opportunity it gives us Eastern woman, and at the same time a master of contemporary art, thanks to his brilliant talent to convey the essence of what proudly bears the name of light installation.
Light and Shadow Kumi Yamashita
“Dialogue”, light installation
Question mark (?), play of light and shadow by Kumi Yamashita
If art locked within the walls of a museum always has its place, then installations on fresh air truly inspiring, giving viewers a wider angle of view. Usually these three-dimensional works are allocated specific place, which means that they were created specifically for this place. Today we offer you ten best examples similar installations.
(Total 10 photos)
1. A cathedral of 55,000 LED light bulbs.
During this year's Festival of Lights in Ghent, Belgium, a stunning project of 55,000 LED lights was created. The vibrant cathedral invited viewers to walk through its 27-meter-high entrance into a fairy-tale gallery bathed in light and color. This amazing work, done in a mixed Romanesque-Renaissance style, is one of those installations that have to be seen with your own eyes to be believed.
2. Interactive electrical cloud.
This large interactive installation called "Cloud" was created Canadian artist Caitling Brown. She was featured in September of this year at an exhibition in Calgary. The "cloud" is made from over 5,000 light bulbs, fluorescent bulbs and strings that can be pulled. Visitors could walk through the rain of ropes, turning the lights on and off. This gave a funny illusion that lightning was passing through the cloud.
3. Cloud of 10,000 Swarovski crystals.
Using 10,000 Swarovski crystals and wire, artists Andy Kao and Xavier Perrault collaborated with J.P. Poll created a beautiful cloud on Arbor Terrace in Georgetown, Washington. And under the cloud there was a pond, in clean waters which reflected thousands of crystals.
4. Interactive huge red heart.
If you happened to be in Times Square in New York City on Valentine's Day this year, you probably saw this 10-foot red heart. It was created by Danish architecture firm BIG using 400 clear LED acrylic tubes that pulsed bright red when people standing nearby touched each other. How? As people gathered in the square, their footsteps collected like energy being converted into light. Thus, the crowd made the heart burn brighter and brighter. Love each other!
5. A canopy of colorful umbrellas.
Within art festival"Aguitagueda" this July, two streets in Portugal were decorated with beautiful colorful umbrellas. And they not only saved those who were below from the sun, but seemed to be something magical, hanging in the air on “invisible” wires.
7. Horses in the river.
These sculptures were created by Richard Morse. His installation features sculptures of horses in life size, made from dead apple trees, and installed in the Grand River. This installation symbolizes the struggle and persistence that we all must go through during difficult situations.
7. Illuminated sheets of paper in the wind.
London designer Paul Cocksedge has created an amazing installation that resembles sheets of paper blown by the wind. He created this masterpiece for the Festival of Lights in Lyon, France. The installation appeared in the courtyard of the Lyon Hotel de Ville. It was 25 meters long and consisted of glowing light bulbs. Each of these 'sheets' was hand sculpted in London and then assembled on site.
8. 100,000 lights in the Tokyo River.
As part of the Tokyo Hotaru Festival, which took place in May this year, an amazing light installation of 100,000 LEDs “shedded” through the center of Tokyo. The lights were called “prayer stars”; they resembled the fireflies that the Japanese love and reverence so much. The LED bulbs were made by Panasonic, and they lit up when they came into contact with water.
9. A river of 10,000 illuminated books.
During the Winter Light Festival in Melbourne, Australia, this installation appeared in the form of 10,000 books scattered everywhere, with light bulbs attached to them. Passers-by were even allowed to take books with them at the end of the festival.
10. 90,000 plastic grapes.
Canadian architects and designers from Claude Cormier + Associes Inc. paid respect to the art of Monet, the father of impressionism. They collected 90,000 plastic balls over the passage to the city hall. These balls of five different colors were noticeably uplifting and resembled colorful grapes.
