Line of light. Nottingham

Line of light. Nottingham. I visited Line of Light with Allegra Nancini Barker to see her wonderful line of poetry and we saw this chap dancing under the lights. When he had completed his dance I spoke to him and he is training to be a dancer and photographer and had an amazing presence. He was responding to music in his earphones and also the moving lights above his head. 

It was a delightful random street moment. His name is Jamal Sterrett.

Programmed and interactive lighting. InterSection. Leeds.

Central Square, Leeds.

A combination of programmed and interactive lighting.

The lighting has a seasonal colour palette and changes colour and pattern in relation to local historical events. For example, in 1718 the first newspaper was published in Leeds. This is celebrated with special lighting at 17.18pm (on some weeks). In 1819 Leeds' streets were lit by gas, so at 18.19pm (on some weeks) the lighting piece has a special 5 minute event to celebrate the occasion. These events change every week throughout the year. No four hours are the same.

The lights are also connected to the local BBC weather updates so that when it snows in Leeds little flecks of white circulate down the artwork. Heavy rainfall in Leeds will activate dashes of white rapidly descending the artwork.

Photo: Carl Milner

Architect: DLA (John Orrell)

Fabricator: Stage One

Lighting: Blinding Light

InterSection. Central Square. Leeds.

Last week this piece was launched.

The lighting is designed to visually dovetail with the large diagonal glass façade. The lines of individually programmable LED’s echo this dynamism.

We then connected the two triangles with lines of individually programmable LED’s which create complex parallaxes as people move around the building. The space becomes active. To further animate the space we have programmed the lines of light to gently change all the time. Here was an opportunity for a poetic side of InterSection.

The lighting has a seasonal colour palette and changes colour and pattern in relation to local historical events. For example, the Central Sq. site was where the Mallard set off on its record speed steam journey (126mph) and this has been translated into a Mallard Blue swirls of colour at 1.26pm. In 1755 (17.55pm) the streets of Leeds were first lit with oil lamps. Gentle flickering is seen in the lower third of the artwork in yellowy orange. These events change every week throughout the year. No four hours are the same.

The lights are also connected to the local BBC weather updates so that when it snows in Leeds little flecks of white circulate down the artwork. Heavy rainfall in Leeds will activate dashes of white rapidly descending the artwork.

Photo: Carl Milner.

Architect: DLA (John Orrell)

Fabricator: Stage One.

Projected lines of poetry. Nottingham Railway Station.

The model showing one of the 365 different lines of poetry projected onto the Nottingham Railway bridge wall. A new line of poetry will be projected each night of the year. Nottingham was recently awarded UNESCO 's City of Literature status for it's literary history and present. Below is a line from a local boy.........

The piece is installed and currently turned off - ready to be launched on October 6th.

A new image of the model and a different line of poetry is being shown every day until launch night on the instagram account

jo_fairfax

Massive thanks to Duncan Turner, Sharon Scaniglia, all the writers and Nottingham City Council.

Projected lines of poetry. Nottingham Railway Station.

The model showing one of the 365 different lines of poetry projected onto the Nottingham Railway bridge wall. A new line of poetry will be projected each night of the year.

The piece is installed and currently turned off - ready to be launched on October 6th.

A new image of the model and a different line of poetry is being shown every day until launch night on the instagram account

jo_fairfax

Roger McGough has just kindly given permission to use one of his lines from 'It Never Rains' and we are in positive discussions with Faber and Faber about including Ted Hughes work.

Massive thanks to Duncan Turner, Sharon Scaniglia, all the writers and Nottingham City Council.

Chelsea FC gate design

My proposed design for the new Chelsea gates as you enter Stamford Bridge that didn't go ahead. The new stadium is designed by Herzog & de Meuron.

Tinted blue glass with large blue enamelled letters harnessing the tribal element of following a football team. Once people are within the perimeter gates, they are BLUE. The gates don't block the view of the new stadium design.

A sonic sensor detects a person which activates 8 of the 10 drums to rotate. The selection is random which means that thousands of poem combinations are formed. Each drum contains a category of word such as verb, adverb, adjective or noun etc. This means that whilst the specifics of the poem always changes the structure of the poem remains the same. Any drum can be slotted in or out and therefore replaced with another 11 words in each category.


Thanks to Matt Little and Sue Stewart.

Burnley zoetrope film

Here is a short film of the two three dimensional animated zoetropes for Burnley Borough Council as part of their new Weavers Triangle public square.

There are 25 different 3D printed models in each zoetrope, each one in a slightly different position. They are located on a disc and when the hand crank is rotated the disc of figures rotates. Under each figure is a magnet which activates a strobe light above the figure. The flickering on and off reveals each figure as it passes the viewer like flip book.  Due to persistence of vision this creates the appearance of the three dimensional figures coming to life.

Many thanks to Seb Boyesen and Burnley Borough Council.

Short film and some stills of 'Line of Light', Nottingham.

 Link to a short film and some stills of 'Line of Light', Nottingham

Nottingham lighting installation completed

The installation of the Nottingham lights under the Station Street tram bridge, down Trent Street and under the canal arch is now complete. The lights under the bridge and tram overhang change colour with different pattern over lays so that the pattern and form are never repeated from hour to hour, evening to evening, week to week, year to year.

As the trams pass overhead they activate new patterns under the bridge moving in the direction of the tram. 

The canal arch also changes colour over the water but this is slower and the gobo projection of Nottingham lace stays the same but looks different as the gentle floods change colour. 

The poems are all up and ready now and the piece is switched off until a September launch.

Here are some quick pictures from last night. Andrew Hilton will be photographing and filming the piece properly. My aim is for Andrew to photograph every single projected to poem to make a collection.

Massive thanks again go to Duncan Turner. A gem of a man. Also to Sharon Scaniglia and Nottingham City Council.

Nottingham Lights install (test)

Last night Duncan and I tested the programming of the lights under the tram bridge outside Nottingham railway Station. We tested the lighting responding to trams movement overhead.  Apart from the visual spectacle it was exciting to experience the dovetailing of sound, visuals and movement.

We also tested the projection of poems. I am grateful to Andrew Motion, John Hegley and Jake Bugg for giving us permission to use their terrific words. Testing will recommence in two weeks time.

Massive thanks to Duncan Turner, Sharon Scaniglia and Nottingham City Council.

Nottingham Trent Street Lighting test

Most of the responsive LED lights along Trent Street in Nottingham have been installed by Duncan now. These lights under the overhang of the tram line in Nottingham respond to tram movement above. The 80m of lights connect the responsive lights under the tram bridge to the canal arch coloured lighting and gobo projection. More photographs of those areas to follow. The piece is due to be launched in September.

Faber and Faber are currently considering giving permission to use Ted Hughes poems as part of the 365 projected poems.

Massive thanks to Duncan Turner, Sharon Scaniglia and Nottingham City Council.

Interactive 3d text sample

I have completed another in the series of interactive wall samples. I have developed some three dimensional text which appears and breaks up according to the viewers movement in front of the wall (sample).

I have used sonic sensors again and these are programmed to respond to people when they reach .5m from the wall.

This image shows four stages of the words forming from an abstract beginning. The letters are individually responsive.

Many thanks to Matt Little.

Projected poetry in Nottingham

Installation is due this coming Monday on Station Street bridge, Trent Street soffit and canal arch. All the poems have now been drawn to provide a poem for each night of the year selected randomly by the projector. Here are some more images from the model.

Thanks to Duncan Turner, Sharon Scaniglia and Nottingham City Council.

Projected poetry in Nottingham

Yesterday the Dylan Thomas Centre and David Higham Associates (who control the Dylan Thomas copyright) kindly gave us permission to use 10 of Dylan Thomas' lines to be part of the collection of 365 poems to be projected randomly, one a night, on the railway/tram bridge wall outside Nottingham railway station on Station Street.

Of the 10 lines I chose, my absolute favourite line of his is:

Drunk as a vineyard snail

Most of the poems have all been drawn now and the projectors raspberry pi is being programmed next week.

Massive thanks to Duncan Turner, Sharon Scaniglia, Nottingham City Council, Dylan Thomas Centre and David Higham.

I have been further testing the poems on my model.

Projected poetry in Nottingham

The installation of the lighting piece for Nottingham starts on June 20th. Last night in my studio I mocked up a few poetry projections to get a feel for the poems that will randomly be selected each night for people to enjoy. 

We have now received a line from Jake Bugg, Roger McGough and John Hegley has written a site specific piece.

Many thanks to Duncan Turner, Sharon Scaniglia, Nottingham City Council and all the poets, writers and organisations who have submitted work and given permission to use these words.