|
Nine metal-mesh scrims fill the 300-foot-long Promenade leading to the Seattle Center Campus. Dreaming in Color, an artwork commissioned by the Seattle Art Commission, consists of four distinct compositions of color, light and time.
(2003; media: lighting, computer control; 350 linear feet with nine 30’ x 50’ surfaces). Copyright 2003 archphoto – Eduard Hueber
"The vision that drove Dreaming in Color from its conception to its actualization was that of offering a theatrical experience to all Seattle Center and McCaw Hall visitors, whether ticket holders or not," Leni explains. "This follows my intent as a public artist --to transport a building's meaning from inside to outside for all to experience."
Dreaming in Color seeks to build upon and extend the Color Field explorations begun by painters in the 1950's and continuing up until the present day. Chromatic abstraction defined the work of Color Field pioneers including Mark Rothko, Kenneth Noland, Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis and Jules Olitski - all of whom flooded large canvases with pure pigments varied in saturation and contrast. These early Color Field artists were interested in creating "atmospheres" in which color was the subject, and which, viewed in close-up, became environments in and of themselves.
For Leni, Dreaming in Color originated as a technical analysis of Seattle's LMN Architects' goal to illuminate multiple, oversized, nearly transparent wire scrims, and evolved into an art commission. Seeking the most effective way to transpose the drama of performance and stagecraft from within the auditorium onto an outdoor promenade, Leni studied the size and serial positioning of the screens. "We concluded that the initial concept, to project video, was not the best method - for reasons ranging from light-contrast to budgetary considerations," Leni explains. "My studio assistant and I studied the scrims' sectional drawing and wondered out loud, 'What is the absolutely simplest solution to this complex and monumental challenge?' We arrived at a solution consisting of two or three lights per 900 to 2100 square-foot scrim."
A "musical score" form was developed. Each of the scrims on the score's vertical axis were depicted as "instruments"; on its horizontal axis, seconds of time were annotated. Based on thematic motifs that specified chroma, contrast and pacing, the score was colored-in, compiling a left-to-right- reading -visual-score. To test and pre-visualize spatial characteristics, a digital diagram was created to represent elevational and perspectival conditions. Finally, utilizing these two tools, time and color were mapped for every second into the perspective and elevation views. The four color compositions - Aquamarine, A Beguiling Song; Sleepwalk Into Primary Red-Blue-Green; Within the Northern Lights; and Of Rothko, Section and Plane - were programmed over a week of all-night sessions.
ABOUT LIGHT PROJECTS LTD.
For over a decade, Leni Schwendinger's Light Projects studio has been a magnet for professional multi-disciplinary collaborations - with project-specific design teams staffed by architects, engineers, and graphic designers committed to her vision and perfectionistic mandate. The Light Projects methodology has produced a distinctive series of interactions with clients ranging from state and municipal agencies and architectural and engineering firms to museums and events planners.
leni@lightprojectsltd.com
www.lightprojectsltd.com
3 JPEG image files of Dreaming in Color (2003; media: lighting, computer control; 350 linear feet with nine 30’ x 50’ surfaces). Copyright 2003 archphoto – Eduard Hueber
|
