LEO: Light Emitting Objects
| January 18 - March 25, 2023 |
The light emitting object is a typology we know more prosaically as a lamp, light, or chandelier, all of which fail to capture spectacular and magical nature of the form. As a vehicle for technological, conceptual, and aesthetic development, it is a form that is uniquely suited to representing our time. It is also ubiquitous, inextricably woven into our daily lives. We rely on lamps and engage with them daily. We walk into a room and turn them on, we turn them off and walk out. They are ceremonial, as the jewelry of a room; and powerful, as they extend our ability to do things by dispelling the dark. We can’t help but look at a light source, our eyes are drawn to its waves of energy just as they are reflexively drawn to motion. This exhibition proposes that a light should be compelling and conceptually worthy of the attention it automatically commands.
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With that high bar set, it is worth also noting that the technical challenges of creating a light that functions effectively is far more complex than making a vase or a chair. Channeling electricity and wires, integrating switches and bulbs or LEDs, having the light project and glow in an effective way, and integrating all this into a sculptural form, it is no small order. Several of the artists in this exhibition – Jo Taylor and Matt Repsher – are relatively new to the typology of light emitting object. Each of the artists have made significant leaps forward with the new work being presented here, in particular Benjamin Gillespie and Kelly Whitmer, who are both introducing hanging light concepts that are entirely new to their oeuvre. Several of the artists, like Carol Milne and Jonatan Nilsson, have made significant strides in developing concepts first introduced in our previous exhibition of light emitting objects last year. What each work has in common is the fearless approach of an artist with a vision, combined with the tenacity to overcome the technical challenges of the format. From this combination, magic ensues. |
Exhibiting Work By Carol Milne, USA (WA) Benjamin Gillespie, USA (PA) |
