2050 South Bundy Preliminary Proposal

Thank you for the opportunity to present concepts for light art at 2050 South Bundy.  

I’ve created one design for the lobby based on color, and one design for the scissor based on geometry and lines. It’s my belief that exterior light art should not be too flashy, while interior work can be more colorful, rather like a jewel box. In a desert city, where light and sun are the default, I designed these pieces to be dynamic experiences where both tenants and the general public take time to stop and contemplate art during their busy schedules.  

I’ve named the Exterior piece: “Crystalline Entity,” and the Interior piece, “Ten Thousand Snow Cones,” because I love Star Trek TNG, and that’s what they look like, snow cones. 

Crystalline Entity

As I spent time looking at the scissor and the renderings showing ideas on how it would be used, I started to think about it as a deck or patio, or back garden. In an office sense, it’s almost like an outdoor desk, and I also considered the inside activities we think of as special when done outside: dining alfresco, or holding class outside, or working from the deck. 

From that perspective, I believe that the area needs a bit of enclosure. The space while interesting, is a new shape and space with a LOT of open views, and I felt that it was a bit too exposed. Humans, among other animals, feel most comfortable in a semi-exposed location, for instance my cat likes to be in a box where she can see but not necessarily be seen. 

The hanging plants suggested in the original renderings show some semi-exposure like that, and I think it would be good to have a lot of hanging vine plants, to both shade those spaces as well as provide enclosure. I want to add to that sense of coziness and along with interaction with horticulture.  

Inspiration

In studying evolution’s response to light over the millennia, one topic repeatedly comes up: a combination of comfort and safety. The core of this topic is “see and be seen”, or NOT seen, as the case may be. There are many strategies for this, but a core strategy that seems universal is to seek out a roof for shade and protection from the elements. Out on the savannah, where there is an abundance of light, even just the contrast of shade under a bush can make it hard to see what’s under it. There is an advantage to see but not be seen, which my design idea aims to do.  

The Crystalline entity is designed to provide work with hanging and climbing plants to create an emotional pergola to encourage more usage of the space. Whether it’s sun protection in the day, or soft lighting as the sun goes down, the piece enhances and extends the outside space.  

Viewpoints

The design has two main viewpoints that I am trying to integrate and satisfy, and they are from very different distances.  

First: The exterior view is seen by a much larger number of people, but for much less time as they walk or drive by. It is important to create a short but impactful experience. 

Second: The tenants of the building and their employees. This view and experience must show complexity over time. For people who see it every day or every week, they should be able to form a bond with the piece. This is not uncommon for Studio 1thousand work. Multiple anecdotes have shown that people ascribe a strong connection to light art we have previously installed in work spaces. 

General Technical Details

This piece would be made from a silicon encased LED product. It could be LED “Neon”, or even programmable RGB strip. The strip would be attached to structural cable AKA aircraft cable. Power supplies would be either placed on the underside of each scissor with a weatherproof box, or inside the structure elsewhere. Access to the power box, either by standing or on a ladder is a must.

Ten Thousand Snow-Cones

Inside the small lobby of the building, I wanted to build a little jewel of a piece. For such a small volume, we have the RARE chance to make a little piece which has a lot of value. I’ve devised a way to expand some of my 2D Color work, into 3D. This piece, while not inspired by snow cones, seems to look like a whole entire pile of them. Constantly changing colors, only a couple lights at a time, this piece fills the volume with multicolored surfaces where colors blend together, and every day is new.

Inside the small lobby of the building, I would build a little jewel of a piece. For such a small volume, we have the RARE chance to make a little piece which has a lot of value. I’ve devised a way to expand some of my 2D Color work, into 3D. This piece, while not made of snow cones, seems to look like a whole pile of them. Constantly changing colors, only a couple lights at a time, this piece fills the volume with multicolored surfaces where colors blend together, and every day is new.  

In a lobby space, where we have multiple people who come to the location every day, I believe it is critical to make a piece which reveals itself over time. in this situation, I’m not searching for a dynamic experience where you can sit and watch its animation, rather a dynamic static experience where the piece changes every hour or half day. In this case, if you arrive for work, go out to lunch, come back and then end your day, you would have four seemingly different experiences, but each is a non moving composition.  

That does not mean the experience is static. Even if the lights do not constantly change, there could be over 2,500 balls, each with its own unique color combination. Also remember that you can only see 3-4 lights from any given angle, so if you switch seats to across the room, you would have a new experience.  

Inspiration

This piece takes inspiration from natural phenomena outside of the human time scale, and different ways that we as people perceive time. We know the sun rises and sets every day, and we know the seasons change. But some of these perceptions can be noticed at any given moment, while others only seem to enter consciousness after a month or two. “It’s starting to feel like fall” is a much different time experience than “Why won’t they text me back?”. Nothing in nature is static, while humans, not just in our life time, but over the course of recorded history, have only just learned that the Moon is slowly moving away from the Earth. Can we find beauty in any single moment of a cycle outside of our perception? 

Viewpoints

In analyzing the space, I found four main static viewpoints: Pre entry, on the sidewalk; Lobby waiting; Activity room (whatever that room is to the left), and Front desk. There is also a dynamic view, as people walk through the space. Again, the highest quantity of people will see the art a short amount of time, while viewers such as the front desk staff will spend all day or all year with it.  

General technical details:

Each ball would be made of white nylon printed using Stereo Lithographic Sintering (SLS). Inside each ball would be 6 LEDS, Up, Down, Left, Right, Front, Back. Each of these LEDs points at a neighbor. Each column of lights is suspended from the ceiling in units we call strands. The strands are mounted to plywood panels which are cut to mount and provide electricity/data to each strand. The plywood is mounted to the building. A location for power and control would have to be found, not more than 30 ft from the location.  

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to collaborating now and into the future.