PROCESS OF UNFOLDING AND EXPERIENCING NATURAL AND CONSTRUCTED LIGHT PHENOMENOLOGY- Artworks of Dan Flavin, Mary Temple, Tadao Ando and Own Personal Site Researches as References

In every architectural design process we start it with searching, collecting and connecting relevant information. The process is an important basic for solving and developing original design. This is a creative process of experiencing new angle of seeing, explore and discover new perspective in architectural design. Collection of relevant information provides basic ideas for dissolving design problems that will lead to design solution. This process of sourcing, sorting and collecting information and make it potential to design application is called research methodology.

Research that is conducted in design framework intends to invent new things and bring out new approaches in design. In terms of professional practice, design research is done to develop theories and dialectic process, even on new invention, further analysis and research is still conducted to continuously increase quality of life.

The core of doing a research is working with references from many sources, including the works of masters and their methods and through observation. By doing so, we can apply and develop their research and methods of research, to our own methods becoming a new angle and methods so the outcome will be rich. In terms of light design, we can refer to the artworks of Dan Flavin, Mary Temple and Tadao Ando. Flavin and Temple are contemporary artists who use light as a poetic art in relation with space and architecture. While Ando is well known architect who uses emotive play of light in his spaces. Another method of doing research is through observation about light phenomena that captured in images at specific sites.

1. Case Studies

1.1 Dan Flavin

Dan Flavin (April 1, 1933-November 29, 1996) born in New York City, was an American minimalist artist who is famous for creating sculptural objects and installations from commercially available fluorescent light fixtures.[1] Flavin believed that light is a fact, the fluorescent tube is a fact[2], it is simple, open, straight forward and plainly delivered. He started using artificial light as art since 1961, and the first notable artworks with light is ‘The Diagonal of May 25, 1963’ (to Constantin Brancusi). Flavin described his work as ‘the diagonal of personal ecstasy’, claiming that the work was a tribute to the Romanian sculptor, Brancusi (Vettese, 2004) with modern and simplified sculptures, Endless Column.

Dan Flavin, The diagonal of May 25, 1963

(to Constantin Brancusi)

After that, Flavin continued to use artificial light, color, and dissolving space articulation in his artworks. Throughout his artworks, we can recognize his strong approach in light design is expressed in corner pieces, barrier, and corridor. He articulated the space by dissolving corner of the space with light, make the wall junction disappear. The space has lost its border. As quoted from Flavin himself, “I knew the actual space of a room could be broken down and play with, by planting illusions of real light, electric light, at crucial junctures in the room’s composition.” [3]

Dan Flavin, Pink out of a corner

(to Jasper Johns), 1963

Dan Flavin, Untitled

(to S.A. Lovingly)

The second methodology that is used by Flavin is light barrier, with an intention to intervene the space. He altered the experience of the contextual and architectural space. The light prevents the visitor’s passage across the space. The constructed light makes people subconscious about the space.

Dan Flavin, Untitled

(to you, Heiner, with admiration and affection), 1973

In his third methodology, Flavin blurring the edges of space by illuminated corridors. As seen in his artwork, Untitled (to Jan and Ron Greenberg), how he faded the limit of the corridor, and changed its perspective with light barrier and slight different light color on the edge.

Dan Flavin, Untitled (to Jan and Ron Greenberg), 1973

Another light installation in corridor, Flavin immerses the room with ambience of light. Light becomes immaterial (spiritual) inside the space. As he did in his special site-installation at Varese corridor (1976). The reflection of light makes the polished wooden floor wavy and seems like water surface.

Dan Flavin, Varese Corridor

1976

Flavin’s art inverted the typical museum experience of moving room to room to view pictures. Instead, his installations highlighted the spatial containers where they were displayed.[4] He blurred the border between art and architecture. In overall of Flavin’s artworks also noted that he had strong approach on color. His colorful fluorescent tubes played important rule in his art. He changed the color of the room, using colorful light to change the mood of a space. To Flavin, color is a phenomenal medium that can express emotions that cannot be expressed through words.

This unusual approach Flavin used in sculpture art has changed the visual perception of people, that artwork is not stand alone but it is actually, engage the space surround it. By highlighting, disrupting and interfere the spatial containers, people will be directed to enter inside the art. He changed the experience throughout the gallery and made light become phenomenology, that drive people to encounter with light.

1.2. Mary Temple

Mary Temple is a contemporary artist who captures light and shadows that changes from time to time. She is investigating how experiential memory can be captured in artworks. She works on a lot of site specific-installations regarding light and shadow. In one of her artworks, “Extended Afternoon” that is installed at The Aldrich Museum has a strong effect in the environment. This painting is trompe l’oeil which means, a style of paintings that gives an illusion of photographic reality.[5] She works on this art piece in 3 phases, which unfold the poetic movement of the sun across the museum space.

The strategy she uses, first of all, she took pictures on every corner of the museum, and she drew the imaginary light shaft that cast into the museum space. Then she planned to paint directly on the museum’s wall.

Mary Temple

Extended Afternoon, layout proposal

The first phase on September 2005, Temple started to paint the light on exterior corner wall that cast the shadow of tree branches. In phase two, the light has reached the adjacent corridor, the area around the bridge (inside the museum), and the exterior courtyard wall. Completed on March 2006, the light has seen finally reached the museum’s project space, light and shadow flooding the wall and floor.

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Temple’s technique is actually using real plants and light during the painting process. This method will create convincing result in her art. However, her work is dependent on architecture, the materials and texture in the interior. What Temple trying to do is, she freezes the moment in the flow of time, in the form of casting shadow. She interfere our consciousness with the shadow of nearby window and plants. Actually, there is no such window and light in the space or maybe there is only little light. She uses a remembered pattern through the forms of window frame and leaves or branches, and catches the phenomena of sunlight. Because what we usually see is mostly from our memory and rarely a new act of looking. Temple succeeded to interject our visual experience as we see her artworks.

Through this installation art Temple intends to bring the outside phenomena inside in the midst of flow of time. It seems like ‘pause button’ is pressed and the viewer is overwhelmed in the stillness and experienced the whole space as an artwork.

In both Flavin and Temple’s art approaches toward light and shadow, I can learn that to unfold and experience natural and constructed light means interject light and shadow into the space and human mind. The interjection of light and shadow will disrupt the people’s consciousness and habit. So the light and shadow become phenomenology and the viewer able to encounter the phenomena.

Possible application from Flavin’s artwork is, by placing a slit lighting on the junction of walls and makes the light looks like come out from the wall. Another method is, to cut the corner (wall junction) so natural sunlight can interject through the space. Inspired by Temple’s works, shortcoming of the shadow on a surface can be captured with cut mirror or glass, place it where the shadows occupy then put the cut glass there. Everytime the shadow passes by different forms of shadows fill the cut surface, and each time the shadow matches the cutting form the shadow will be alive inside the space.

1.3. Tadao Ando

Tadao Ando is a Japanese architect who works with play of light in his architectural space. Ando’s works mainly expose cast-in-place concrete, simple geometric shapes, and spatial narrative through spaces, that express Japanese purity and simplicity. One illustration of the method that Ando used in terms of poetic lighting, in the Church of Light, is by directing ever-changing light rays penetrate through a cross cut opening and perceptually ‘deconstruct’ the simple geometric volume of the church. Here, dynamic sunlight is the ultimate manifestation of the spirit, and tactile experience is presented within sacred space through space orientation in relation to the sun. His works are poetic ways in play of natural light toward architectural space.

Tadao Ando, Church of Light

2. Observation

Besides conduct case studies from references, research through direct observation about phenomena outside is also important to obtain real experience of light. By doing observation in particular sites and captures the phenomena with camera or video, I’m able to feel the light and study about the phenomena, and then make it as a part in my design approach. Observation also includes experimental study. Building up model experiments help to deepen the research because throughout those experiments, new discovery can be unfolded and found.

Water reflection Shadow of the rain

Sky reflection on water Sky phenomena

Experiment on reflection Experiment on reflection

3. Conclusion

By doing on research about methodologies that are used by these masters, it will build up a base for the design project. The approaches they had applied through unique forms, texture, strong color, changes of light, design that is able to capture the moment, address the viewer’s perception toward design and space. It is the references to my approach in design practices. In the professional practice often that designer just decorating the space without trying to bring out the essence and dematerializing the space. Dematerializing means, to deprive of or lose apparent physical substance; make or become immaterial.[6] Intention of my design project is by understanding the material and space’s characteristics in order to break down the space and make it twist the visual perception.

From these three main references, I can combine and summarize the conceptual approaches into my constructive design practices. The contextual approach is directing and reflecting light into a space poetically, aiming to create diffused light and shadow that make the occupant subconscious towards the space and the space become dematerialized.

In the research practice that I do, what I can learn from these professional artists, I apply experimental methods to conduct my design process about light. By doing direct observations and experiments, the experience of light become sensible and give new means toward the space.

Bibliography

Frampton, Kenneth (2003) Tadao Ando: Light and Water, The Monacelli Press Inc.

Holl,S. Pallasmaa, J. & Perez-Gomez, A. (2006) Questions of Perception-Phenomenology of Architecture, San Francisco: William Stout Publishers.

Mack, Gerhard (2005) Herzog and De Meuron 1992-1996, Switzerland: Birkhauser-Publishers for Architecture

Mende, Kaoru (2000) Designing with Light and Shadow, Australia: The Images Publishing Group Pty. Ltd

Meyers, Victoria (2006) Designing with Light, London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd

Ragheb, J. Fiona (1999) Dan Flavin: The Architecture of Light, New York: Guggenheim Museum Publications

Vettese, Angela (2004) Dan Flavin: Rooms of Light, London: Thames and Hudson Ltd

WordNet® 3.0 Princeton University 19 Sep. 2007. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/phenomenology>

www.aldrichlook2.org/look2/marytemple/

www.artnet.com/artist/424664624/mary-temple.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Flavin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology

www.marytemple.com

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/flavin/retrospective.htm

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[1] Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Flavin.

[2] Vettese, A. (2004). Dan Flavin: Rooms of Light. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. p. 29.

[3] Quoted from http://www. Southbankcentre.co.uk/flavin/retrospective.htm.

[4] Meyers, V. (2006). Designing with Light. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. pp. 12-14.

[5] trompe l’oeil. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved October 14, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trompe l’oeil

[6] dematerializing. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved October 14, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dematerializing