luminaires
Selecting the most effective, and appropriate, luminaires (or “lights”, for you and me!), is vital. Not only is this important for creating the best design and display outcomes that maximise the viewer experience, but it will also ensure the protection and conservation value of your artworks.
accenting
Effective lighting of an exhibition, or an individual artwork, can make the difference between the viewing experience being an engaging or an indifferent one.
I recently designed and set the lighting for this wonderful exhibition of finalists in the inaugural Lake Art Prize 2020, an exhibition held at the Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie. Lights used were a combination of ERCO Dali-LED wall washers, spots, floods and framers operated via a Crestron dimming control system.
spotlighting
Using spotlights to illuminate and highlight individual artworks in an exhibition or display, requires a subtle combination of ambient and indirect light to provide contrast.
The darker the ambient lighting conditions, the less intense, or bright, the spotlight needs to be.
light distribution
The most common method for creating an even ‘wash’ of light over a wall is to use wall washers. Spaced equidistantly, and at the optimum angle to the wall, wall washers will provide an even wash of light down the wall. It is a very effective and discrete method of lighting.
light and shadow
I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to light many exhibitions over the last 10 years through my work with the Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie, including touring shows from the Art Gallery of NSW, Museums and Galleries NSW and Queensland, and others like this recent touring show from the National Gallery of Australia, Body Language. This exhibition provides a great example of the need to balance conservation requirements with lighting design outcomes. Using a combination of luminaire (wall washers, floods, spots and framers), differing lux levels (light brightness) and lighting angles, an outcome can be achieved that creates a dynamic viewing experience while also meeting conservation requirements.
light and drama
In lighting these sculptures, by Nawurapu Wunungmurra (Body Language, National Gallery of Australia touring exhibition), I used two ERCO framing lights set approximately 6 metres back from the works and angled across their faces. This created multiple shadows on the backing wall, echoing the black and white colouring of the works and amplifying the drama of the setting.