Sean Beach [Beach, Alexander, Walz, Wukman] - Genie Maples
We initially started looking for artists that have works with strong verticality to highlight the Millennium Center's strong features. We then began exploring artists that employ color mixing to create a final product as it correlates to a unique element of lighting design - the concept of mixing a few primary colors to achieve a varied color palette and final composition. Genie Maples fit perfectly in to this niche, with pieces that illustrate both of our requisites. Maples works in overlapping color fields, much in the same way we as lighting designers selectively combine the primaries of light (red, green, and blue) to create a diverse field of color.
Alex Fogel [Fogel, Bishop, McGillicuddy, Cavanaugh] - Marc Chagall
Light may be used to recreate the same brush-strokes that Chagall would have made. In his use of color, distribution of character within the pigment, Chagall distorts seemingly normal subject matter to appear more interesting in the world of his paintings. This is the skeletal structure, which is the base for the artist’s style and genius. By emulating Chagall’s approach to the separation of foreground, middle-ground, and background, a composition with light may be orchestrated to create a striking, yet subtle, representation of how the artist might have painted one of his works across the canvas of a three-dimensional, historical structure.
Michael Kohler [Kohler, Bright, Grant] - Peter Max
I chose Max because his work can be well represented by the vibrant colors produced by the LEDs. His bold use of color lends itself well to the lightly colored facade of the Millennium Center, which provides a willing canvas for endless possibilities of color. I feel that Max, being a Pop Artist, would have certainly accepted this project as it provides ample opportunity for public exposure.
Brad Peterson [Peterson] - Dan Flavin
Dan Flavin’s work is simplistic, elegant, and, of course, beautiful. One of the hallmarks of Flavin’s work is the exposed fluorescent tube; luckily we have our own tubes, in the form of columns. His radiant fixtures, glowing with effervescent light, create a stunning contrast to the colors being projected behind the fixtures. The simplicity of the contrasting colors, which feature so prevalently in his installations, are what make his work, and interpretations thereof, so spectacular.
Paola Rodriguez [Rodriguez, Spitzer, Chasteen, Goldman] - Vincent Van Gogh
Van Gogh’s style is an easy fit for The Millennium Center as the lines, shapes, and perspective layers of the building can be abstracted to reveal a unique and expressive mood. The already present visual flow of the building encourages strong colors and expressive texture to enhance movement and interest throughout the final piece.
Samuel Rushen [Rushen, Ross, Abab, Plath] - Barnett Newman
I chose Newman for his use of pure colors in paintings. When representing his ideas of how color is used on the building, we felt that the columns that break-up the building could be used to accent different areas of color as seen in his color field paintings, with the sections of the building that the columns create. |
