McCall's Solid Light

Producing of space

It was a good text for me because I was reading about space. When I saw the exhibition of Anthony McCall, firstly I started to think about how he did create this space and why? I think there is a simple answer for this question; because he wants from us just to focus on Solid lights where we feel like we are in a dream or nightmare! It reminds me one of my questions, which I think about nowadays, does art space create an illusion on audience? I think, if it comes to this exhibition, it creates an illusion to us. When you cross the second door you encounter a black space that you cannot describe first, then your eyes get used to darkness. It is the starting point of illusion. He also creates an illusion with sound in another part of exhibition. There are five speakers that you can hear continuing voice of waves. If you close your eyes and listen to it again, at the end of waves you really feel like these waves come and smash you to the wall.

Time and Light

We cannot talk about time if there is no light, this is physics. And McCall looks to light as a sculptural material. But light has no gravity and solidity. How can you shape light like a sculpture? When you start to ask questions, you will find your way and of course he made it. He used 16mm projector to reflect his first project Line Describing a Cone. And he solved the visibility problem with a couple of smokers, but now because of prohibition of cigarettes indoor, he uses smoke machines for this visibility problem. When we see this exhibition we too much focus on Solid Lights and their moving forms. I think this is a problem, because the focus is too much on the solid lights and have less attention for the screens. Again I remembered my other question, does object create an illusion on audience? Of course you feel like in a sea where you can swim or you can see the light end of a tunnel! A unique aesthetic work! Maybe this remark will be strain, but I also feel like we see different types of god. Because we focus on the light (projector), it could create a feeling for audience as if somebody is watching, the artist puts himself into god of light.

In the text there is one sentence, time can manipulate as a plastic element. At the beginning of this text we said if there is no light there is no time. I think he is doing some kind of time bending with these exhibitions. When you are in a dark place, you don't notice how time passes.

Interactivity

In this exhibition there is a strong interaction between Solid lights and audience. You can play with forms of light. In my opinion presenting art like McCall’s is stronger than arts, which you can't get close and feel physically the art object. For instance last month I visited Cologne for festival and I had chance to visit Kolumba museum. I like their presenting of art objects, because they don't have history sections they present mix of art from different periods. It was very nice (but it is not our issue now) when you are in Kolumba there are a lot of security guards who can observe you and warn you when you get close to art works. This creates distance between audience and art object. You feel like in the White House. I am sure nobody doesn't like being observed by someone. That's why McCall's exhibition was important for me, because there is no distance between you and art object.

Links,

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

http://faculty.georgetown.edu/irvinem/theory/Lefebvre-Production-of-Space-excerpts-1.pdf