From defining form to eliciting certain emotions, light art can be implemented in a vast range of ways. However, light in art is also highly complex — so aspiring light artists benefit from taking the time to understand light as a medium, how it is perceived and the various ways in which it can be used to achieve creative goals (like telling a story or achieving an emotional response).
Defining Light in Fine Arts
Before delving into detail about the different approaches to light, it’s important to understand light as its own medium.
Light as Medium, Subject and Metaphor
In art, light itself can serve as the primary element of an installation. It can serve as a subject, too, as well as be transformed or even used as a visual metaphor.
Perception of Art and Science: Optics, Color and the Human Eye
Artists who leverage light effectively also have a firm grasp of the science of light perception, particularly as it relates to light entering the eye, hitting the retina and activating the rods to perceive color. This allows them to more tactfully use both natural and visual light in artistic practice.
Historical Approaches to Light
The history of light art is believed to date back to the Baroque period of the 1600s, where Chiaroscuro and Tenebrism were first incorporated in European painting. These techniques integrated subtle and gradual transitions, along with Caravaggio light, to create a sense of depth in painting.
By the mid-19th century, luminism began capturing atmospheric light via subtle color gradations and cinematic lighting — followed by Impressionism’s light usage and the Plein Air method, or the practice of painting outdoors in an effort to incorporate natural lights and colors.
Contemporary Light Practices
From its beginnings in the 1600s to today, light art has evolved significantly. Contemporary art themes and practices include:
- Light sculptures, LED installation and neon as primary materials
- Projection, video and immersive environments
- Interactive and data-driven light installations
Material, Technique and Technology
Artists today use pigments, binders, specific materials and spectral power to capture light in their own work.
Pigments, Binders and Surface Sheen for Light Control
Pigments with a high refractive index, for example, may help scatter light — whereas binders like acrylic or oil-based paints may allow more light to pass through and create a luminous effect. Meanwhile, the surface used can also affect perception of light or color rendering index (CRI), as a matte surface will absorb light and a glossy surface will have the opposite effect. Artists who understand CRI lighting are better positioned to achieve the look they want.
Reflective, Translucent and Transparent Materials
Materials employed in light art may include transparent options (such as glass or acrylic), translucent items (e.g., frosted glass or even some plastics) and reflective surfaces (like mirrors and metallic surfaces).
Spectral Power, Color Temperature and Rendering
Finally, spectral power distribution (SPD), or light’s actual color makeup, can affect temperature and rendering in an artist’s work.
Composition, Space and Atmosphere
Composition, space and atmosphere all play a central role in the creation of light art.
Directing the Eye: Highlights, Shadows and Silhouette
Artists who incorporate light regularly learn how to direct the eye and create focal points through the strategic use of shadow techniques, highlights and silhouettes in their work.
Depth and Mood: Haze, Glow and Backlight
In addition, artists may rely on elements such as backlighting, haze or painting glow to build a sense of mood and atmosphere in a work. For instance, mist or fog may help soften the appearance of objects and create a dream-like feel.
Time-Based Light: Flicker, Fade and Rhythm
Finally, artists may use some time-based methods to draw a viewer’s attention and transform perceptions of space and time. Some examples include:
- Flicker, the use of rapid alterations of light (that can mimic the flicker of a flame).
- Fade, a gradual transition of light intensity that can create drama or control pace.
- Rhythm, the repetition of light to build visual tempo.
Symbolism in Art and Cultural Contexts of Light
Many artists also use light to build symbolic or even cultural meaning in their work. Light has symbolized revelation and enlightenment themes — such as in Tenebrism pieces where it represented the presence of a god or divine being.
Meanwhile, modernist and urban artists captured busy nightlife scenes in growing cities during the 1920s and beyond, especially as the use of neon light became associated with commercialism and energy.
Today, many artists are concerned with potential environmental effects of using light itself as a medium — taking proactive measures to use sustainable materials and energy sources in their work as a means of reducing light pollution and waste.
Exhibition Design and Conservation
In designing works that utilize light, keep in mind some tips and best practices.
Gallery Lighting Ratios, Glare and Color Fidelity
For one, artists may need to consider the lighting in the gallery itself. In general, artwork light should be about three times brighter to ensure proper focus and color fidelity. To minimize unwanted glare and hot spots, angles should also be properly accounted for.
Light-Sensitive Works: Exposure Limits and Archival Concerns
Some other works in an exhibition may be sensitive to light. Artists may consider using light meters to track actual light levels, using UV filtering as needed and potentially limiting how long certain works are left on display.
Documentation: Photo/Video Strategies for Light Art
Taking photos or videos of light art can prove especially challenging, so it is important to use the right camera settings and adjust light angles to emphasize form. In some cases, post-process/editing may be needed to achieve the desired look in photographic lighting.
Global Case Studies and Perspectives
United States: James Turrell’s Skyspaces and Perception Chambers
Artist James Turrell uses light to transform small rooms with a ceiling oculus that creates a frame around the natural sky. Using hidden and gradually changing LED light installation, Turrell paints the sky with colors, thereby bringing awareness to viewers’ light and color perception in remarkable ways.
Iceland/Denmark: Olafur Eliasson’s Weather, Color and Sunlight Studies
As part of The Weather Project in 2003, Olafur Eliasson created an artificial sun made of lamps that transformed Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall into a dreamlike space. The use of mist and a mirror ceiling amplified the experience for viewers, effectively bringing the phenomena of nature indoors.
Japan: teamLab’s Interactive Digital Light Environments
TeamLab, an international art collective, is known for its interactive digital light environments that utilize LEDs, projection mapping and complex programming to create immersive art experiences. TeamLab’s work has been displayed in Tokyo, Miami, Singapore and elsewhere around the world — with installations encouraging users not just to observe but to become part of each work.
Netherlands: Rembrandt’s Directional Light and Portrait Systems
Rembrandt lighting, which is still seen in light art today, refers to methods developed by Rembrandt in the 1600s. These include strategic light placement above eye level and 45 degrees from a portrait subject to create a dramatic, timeless effect that can evoke emotion while enhancing natural features. Today, artists and photographers alike rely on these tried-and-true methods in their work.
United Kingdom: Dan Flavin’s Minimal Neon Geometries (internationally exhibited)
Artist Dan Flavin is known for his minimal neon art geometries, which revolve around fluorescent tubes to build radiant light installations that transform spaces through minimalism. Often, Flavin used readily available fluorescent colors (like pink, green and yellow) to achieve ambient color in lieu of more “traditional” art materials.
Mexico: Gabriel Dawe’s Thread-Light Spectrums in Architectural Space
In Mexico, Gabriel Dawe creates a sense of wonder through his light installations that mimic rays of light using architecturally scaled weavings. These weavings look so realistic that they often play tricks on viewers’ eyes, with some installations using up to 60 miles of thread to create the breathtaking look of indoor rainbows.
South Korea: Do Ho Suh’s Translucent Architectures and Light
As opposed to the usual light installation, artist Do Ho Suh uses translucent fabrics that interact with light to transform their perceived features, like thickness and color. These pieces are often architectural in nature, mimicking the look of homes and buildings in surprisingly realistic ways.
France: Cathedral Stained Glass as Site-Specific Light Art
Cathedral stained glass art, such as that found at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in France, serves as one of the earliest examples of light art that interacts with natural elements throughout the day. These pieces are transformative in nature — changing over the seasons, during different times of day and in varying weather conditions.
Studio and Classroom Exercises
Students looking to explore the use of light in their art may benefit from a number of studio and classroom exercises to gain valuable, hands-on experience. Examples include:
- Using single-source lighting in still lives to practice shadow mapping, value and contrast.
- Applying colored light mixes to gain experience with gels, filters and complementary schemes.
- Building a mini light box, which could help students better understand concepts like translucency, reflection and diffusion.
- Conducting a night window study to solidify understanding of urban light, reflection and narrative.
- Using a photo or video loop to explore time-based light and mood shifts.
Ready to Illuminate Your Creativity?
Using light in art can be a compelling way to capture your viewer’s attention while curating a certain mood or incorporating symbolism of light in art. At Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, light art is just one of many skills you can learn in the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree curriculum. Learn more about this program or any of the other programs we have to offer, or take the next step by completing an application today.
FAQs: Exploring Light in Fine Arts
Q1: What does “light as a medium” mean?
This simply means that light itself is the material. Whether LED, neon or projections — form, color and movement are created by controlling emitted or transmitted light.
Q2: How is light different as a subject versus a technique?
As a subject, the artwork depicts light (such as in the form of a sunset or glow). As a technique, on the other hand, light organizes composition by controlling factors such as value, contrast and attention.
Q3: Which materials enhance luminosity in painting?
High-tint white, transparent glazes, metallic leaf and smooth grounds can all increase reflectance and perceived glow in painting. Meanwhile, matte grounds can be used to improve glare control.
Q4: How do color temperature and CRI affect exhibited artworks?
Warmer light can enrich red and yellow hues, whereas cooler light tends to clarify blues. Likewise, high CRI/TM-30 preserves accurate color, while poor spectra may distort pigments.
Q5: Are light-based installations hard to conserve?
Yes, they can be — particularly because of limited bulb/LED lifespans, obsolete drivers, heat and potential UV risks. In these cases, conservators should carefully document specifications, substitute components as needed and limit overall exposure to reduce risk.
Q6: How can students practice “seeing light” quickly?
Students can gain experience seeing light by using single-lamp setups, value-only studies and phone light meters. From there, they can sketch shadow shapes before adding midtones and highlights for added practice.
Q7: What ethical or ecological issues arise with light art?
Potential issues artists should consider include power use, light pollution and material waste. Fortunately, many of these can be addressed through solutions like low-energy LEDs, timers, recycled components and daylight-responsive programming.
