Light is a fundamental element of life and thus has an intrinsic pull on us. Light as a medium of making becomes an effective tool to demand attention, and when used properly, can go so far as to remove us from our context and give us a moment of reprieve. The following pieces focus purely on the medium of light as a visual means to stillness, meditation, and retrospection.

DoF–which stands for depth of field–is a large-scale freestanding light-form which projects and frames a haze of two frequencies of light. Here, the red light gives the sense of a distant space embedded in the field of blue. The relationship between the two color fields shifts as the viewer observes, and a range of focuses of color can be achieved depending on the distance DoF is placed from a wall. The raw aluminum frame is finished in a sandblast to both reduce reflections and allow the material to take on the colors of the diffuse light. The unique thing about light as a medium, is that it naturally mixes, and this process is reversible. Photons intersect, shifting wavelengths and thus changing perceived colors. DoF demonstrates this phenomenon by giving the power of mixture to the user. Pushed directly against a wall, the red and blue lights are completely distinct. Pulled away, and the colors begin to blend and merge, until all that’s left is a haze of red within the field of blue. The effect is intended to be both visceral and critical in encouraging the viewer to contemplate the nature and behaviors of light.

DoF  (Red, Pale Blue)  2019
Sandblasted aluminum, LED
W 46.25   D 13.5   H 88

The freestanding light-form Axes derives its name from the mathematical term for dimensional reference lines. With its arms projected into three distinct dimensions, it is able to be oriented in many ways, achieving unique compositional effects. The sandblasted aluminum frame subtly takes on the color around it while not creating reflections. And due to its raw state and simple form, any surface marking that occurs while rearranging the piece can be embraced as aesthetic enhancements. Axes was designed as a framework for light; a versatile utility. With its three arms projecting in the three dimensions (X, Y, and Z), it is enabled to be reoriented. The different positions allow the piece to transition from fixed, compositional artwork, to an activator of space, defined by the dimensional lines.

AXES  (Blue, Orange)  2019
Sandblasted aluminum, LED
W 43.75   D 24.25   H 67.5

H creates a horizontal field of vision contained and complimented by two vertical bars of light at its ends. There is a moment where the two colors intersect, and the blue and red light mix, giving the illusion of the blue physically pushing into the red light, as if the light fields held mass and couldn't occupy the same space. The resulting composition is intended to create an abstract depth of space; to me, the view with these colors resembles looking across a still lake at dusk. By creating this abstraction, the viewer is able to remove themselves from their societal context and focus purely on light and form, enabling a kind of mental separation reset.

H  (Red, Cyan)  2018
Powder-coated aluminum, LED
W 42.5   D 3.5   H 25
Edition of 12

EXIT refers not only to the formal characteristics of a door frame, but an introspective escape. A subtle shift in depth creates stability while changing the scale of the light medium to achieve a broader stroke (the right vertical bar is approximately 4 inches further from the wall than the left). This shift in scale makes for a more interesting two-dimensional composition, but also allows the viewer to perceive depth, where the red light falls into the distance, beyond the blue. EXIT both creates and frames a three-dimensional world made by light. The opposing red a blue colors evoke different emotional responses, and when juxtaposed create a tension and dialogue back and forth for the viewer to meditate on.

EXIT  (Red, Blue)  2018
Powder-coated aluminum, LED
W 26   D 4.5   H 73.5
Edition of 12

RvB is a composition where red and blue light interact with each other through a corner. Because of their orientation and proximity, each light bathes the opposite wall in its color, so that the red light lives in blue, and the blue light in red. A corner is an integral architectural condition where–typically–walls turn to meet each other at a 90º angle. This provides an especially unique opportunity for lighting, where light can cast on opposing surfaces. The corner also happens to be an underutilized space in a room due to its functional accessibility challenges, making it a prime opportunity for a non physically-functional design solution. Essential lightwave colors red and blue evoke opposing emotional responses, and the interaction of the two intends to create a challenging and calming tension.

RvB  2018
Powder-coated aluminum, LED
W 35   D 17.5   H 24
Edition of 12

LIGHTBAR-3 creates a field of vision consisting of three bars of light. The bars are spaced such that each has room to complete its own form, while leaving a tension between them: a tiny moment where the hazy edges of the purple and orange light appear to mix, only slightly. The object is intended not only as an enhanced two-dimensional composition, but to create an abstract depth of space where the wall-mounted channel becomes a perceived horizon line. As with H and EXIT, LIGHTBAR-3 is a compositional means to meditation. These works are designed to simultaneously disconnect the viewer from societal constructs and deeply connect her or him to her or himself.

LIGHTBAR-3  (Purple, Orange)  2018
Powder-coated aluminum, LED
W 59   D 3.5   H .5
Edition of 12

LIGHTBAR-2 is positioned with a closer proximity to the wall than LIGHTBAR-3 to create a distinct depth of space. The bars of light are composed such that each–the red and the green–has room to complete its own form, while leaving a tension between them where the colors mix, only slightly. The asymmetrical composition of LIGHTBAR-2 give the viewer a sense of continuation; that the lights may be part of a larger system. Early 20th century modernist painter Piet Mondrian used this technique in his work, creating rectilinear compositions that appeared to be cropped out of larger fields.

LIGHTBAR-2  (Red, Green)  2018
Powder-coated aluminum, LED
W 36.5   D 3.5   H .5
Edition of 12