“Bulb” 2008
Wood, metal, light, motor, light bulb, optics
50 x 30 x 40 cm

Installations
Galleria Delloro, Domaquaree, Berlin
2011

International Biennale, Feszek Klub, Budapest
2009

In Praise of Shadows
London Design Festival, Victoria Albert Museum, London, UK
2009

‘Bulb’ is an opto-kinetic sculpture that creates a unique light display within its environment. A large 2000 Watt light bulb (originally used in lighthouses and spot lights) rotates on the base whilst light passes through the moving glass. The bulb’s internal surface has a world map photogram developed on it. The image of the world map has been created with a photographic process using photo emulsion paint and light. As the image of the word map rotates various continents are abstractly disassembled and are projected onto the walls and ceilings of the exhibition space.

The world map that we all recognise is turned into an almost unrecognisable sequence of shapes that cover the space around the sculpture. ‘Bulb’ alludes to Man’s relationship with its environment. The rotating light bulb is like an old terrestrial globe of the world, rotating about its axis. Its fragility becomes apparent as it is just held in place by gravity. The light bulb is an all too familiar object that we associate with industrial age, technology, power, energy, light, invention and creative ideas as well as environmental connotations. Its purpose is to make us see things, that otherwise we would not be able to see – to see things differently. The work challenges our association with familiar objects, by subverting their use and making something that is unpredictable. The fusion of two common objects – globe and a light bulb – results in a juxtaposition of global issues that we are faced with today. To list them would be taking away from its worthy ambiguity, and power. The similarity to nineteenth century scientific instrumentation explores the theme of discovery and exploration, and invites the viewer to analyse the complex way in which the rotating images of ‘bulb’ are created.