DSDN 144 Project 3: Precedents

I found some appropriate precedents for Project 3: Light that fit with my idea of analysing energy currents and tracking the lines that we don't see in our everyday world. They inspired my ideas for the project and are both beautiful and astounding.

My first precedent is a group of people who developed a method of measuring the invisible patterns of the wifi network in an area. These people are: Timo Arnall, Jørn Knutsen andEinar Sneve Martinussen. They created a "light post" that measures the available wifi strength of a given point through the amount of lights lit on the post. The lights go up the length of the stick, and when the wifi is weak, the height of the lights lit is low, and when the wifi is strong, more lights light up and the lit portion of the post extends much higher.

Taken in Oslo, copyright Timo Arnall

Taken in Oslo, copyright Timo Arnall

This presentation of the non-visible as something much more tangible and visible, in this case a light painting, makes the whole thing far more real. In a way, wifi signals aren't even real to us. We only see them as little bars on our phones and laptops and don't experience them per se. This presentation of them as something far more real is therefore why these images are so interesting. 

Pablo Picasso is an inspiration to light painting all over the world. It was some of his light paintings that made the art mainstream. He made it popular and brought it to the world. His small, arguably inaccurate sketches were done with a tiny little lightbulb attached to the socket.

Taken in Vallauris, copyright Pablo Picasso

Taken in Vallauris, copyright Pablo Picasso

His light paintings were uncommon at the time, and the art was only just starting to appear, so in many ways it's this showing what is new and different that makes his work a precedent for me. I want to do the same. I want to show things that are different, things that we just haven't seen before. I want to demonstrate originality.

My third precedent is a lady called Vicki Dasilva, who does some fantastic work in the field of modern light photography, and who calls up a very unique look at the whole art form. She uses a combination of different bulbs and colours to generate a whole range of different effects. Most of her light work is used to enhance the area in the photograph.

Taken in Paris, copyright Vicki Dasilva

Taken in Paris, copyright Vicki Dasilva

Her work is really cool and presents a whole range of different light effects. Sadly I don't have her tools at my disposal, but the effects she does are still very achievable.

Photos from:

Timo Arnall: Work

Pablo Picasso: Work

Vicki Dasilva: Work