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Photonic Dreams
Artist statement

In my work, light exists and interacts with its environment in 3 distinctive levels.


It first permits us to enjoy and experience the beauty of things, the textures and colours. It permits us to experience the flow of gestures in space, to witness the expression of emotions in a face.

Lighting states and dynamical lighting changes interact with this constant flow of movement of objects and humans. This powerful interaction influences our interpretation of things; it shapes our emotional and cerebral attachments. It creates a visual language at least as powerful as our written and oral language.


On a second level light becomes the object itself. Normally light is only perceived through reflection or refraction on material things. Seldom have we looked at the source of light itself. Often the source itself is even harmful to our eyes. However, a subtle marriage of light and materials can make us believe light is creating the architecture of space. We are given the impression that light is defining boundaries and creating ephemeral objects we believe we can touch. 

On the third level such ephemeral lighting objects become vibrant and animated. Light becomes the subject rather than the object described above. Light has its own path, humour, character and intelligence. As an example I would like to refer to the Aurora Borealis. As much as it is a phenomenon of physics its appearance touches us in a different way. Its movement and appearance is organic and unpredictable, full of elegance and grace. This third level of lighting where light is incorporating life-like behaviours closes for me the circle as for what light represents in nature and space, as for without light there would be no life at all.

 
(C) 2008 Axel Morgenthaler lighting