Light As an Art Medium

I felt really bad I could not fit the colorful images of this fabulous lantern into Claire Fairweather’s gallery pages, so here you go. The first image in the upper left is the piece lit with white room light, with the following images showing Claire’s intention to combine it with colored light from within the vessel.

Claire uses bullseye cane slices with a center of translucent clay to create a simple yet dramatic pattern through which an electric candle can emit colored light. Her choice of a light-changing LED candle adds a whole other aspect to the look and feel of this polymer-covered sphere and was sure to be integral to Claire’s intention with this piece, which is why I felt so bad about not being able to fit it into the layout. But at least I can share it here.

Although you may not think of light as an art medium, it definitely can be. Anything that adds color and contrast is a medium you can use to increase the impact and look of your work. And with all the ways we can use translucent polymer, light—especially colored lights—should certainly be considered a possible addition to the work if it can functionally be done.

All of Claire’s work deals with the formation of texture and images created through a mosaic-type approach but she explores the outer reaches of what a mosaic can be, using things like this lantern and the mirror you would see in the gallery pages. You can take a look at more of this work of hers on her website and her blog.