Leonardo

Kinetic Art: A Programmed and a Sound-Controlled Flashing-Light Installation Author(s): Thorbjrn Lausten Reviewed work(s): Source: Leonardo, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Summer, 1976), pp. 224-225 Published by: The MIT Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1573562 . Accessed: 08/02/2012 15:08
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in Press1976. Printed GreatBritain Vol. Leonardo, 9, pp. 224-225. Pergamon

A AND A ART: PROGRAMMED KINETIC FLASHING-LIGHT SOUND-CONTROLLED INSTALLATION

ThorbjornLausten*
art I shall describetwo flashing-light installationsthat in I demonstrated 1974 and 1975. Well-knownkinetic electric light art techniqueswere applied in both of 3 them [1, 2]. References and 4 stimulatedme to undertake this work. 1. 'Flux Field, 1974' This installation consisted of four incandescent 'white' light lamps of differenttints and of different wattage that were suspendedfrom the ceiling of the Aarhus KunstbygningGallery at Aarhus, Denmark. The lamps were at the cornersof an imaginerysquare about 3 m above the floor (Fig. 1). These lamps were programmedto turn on and off cyclically by a timer (Fig. 2). The four lamps (made in Holland by the Pope Co.) were the following (Fig. 1) (clockwise starting with the right forwardlamp): (1) 100 W, clear (bluish tint glass) type; (2) 500 W, clear 'daylight'type; (3) 200 W, ordinary clear type and (4) 175 W, 'warm' light or timerscausedlamp(1) to be on 'charcoal' type. Separate for 16 sec and off for 18 sec; (2) on for 60 sec and off for 60 sec; (3) on for 40 sec and off for 125 sec and (4) on for 60 sec and off for 90 sec. The cycle startedwith one lamp on. The timers(Fig. 2) are designatedas On/Off Repeat Timer,type SC185, and are made in Denmark by the Electromatic Co. Buttons are provided for adjustingthe durationof both 'on' and 'off' times. The installation was operated with the regular gallerylights (220V, 50Hz) eitheron or off (Fig. 1). At 8000 AarhusC., *Artistliving at 66 Brammersgade, 23 Denmark. (Received April1975). I the time whenI made my demonstration, also exhibited a series of oil on Masonitepaintings(60 x 60 cm). A grid of 4 x 4 cm squares was marked on each Masonite panel and masking tape was then applied without a preconceivedplan so as to leave up to not more than four of the squares open. I preparedtwo seriesof paints: one of five differentbrownsand one of four different dark grays and a black. The open squareswere then paintedwith a mixturemade of one of the paints from each of the two series, without a preconceivedplan. The procedure of applying tape and painting more squareswas repeateduntil all the squares had been painted. My idea behind these an paintingswas to demonstrate aspect of randomness and of the varyinglightnessof the color mixturesdue to their differentabsorptionof light. I was fascinated by the changing appearanceof the paintings as the lights flashed. Also, when I watch arrays of flashing by lights my mind turnsto the knowledgeaccumulated physicistson the propertiesof light [5] and to aspects of geometryand of cyclic phenomena. 2. 'WhiteSound,1975' This installationconsistedof six incandescent lamps suspendedfrom a ceiling at differentheightsabove the floor (Fig. 3). Therewere three of 150 W and three of 100 W, and they were coupled so that one lamp of 100 W and one of 150 W would operatein unison. The operation of the lamps was controlled by an circuitconnectedto the outputof an AM/FM electronic radio and consisted of the following components

'-

u l

e; ....... ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~.._

Fig. 1. Viewof the installationof'Flux Field, 1974', kinetic electric light art, in the Aarhus KunstbygningGallery, Aarhus, Denmark, 1974.

I -! Fig. 2. Viewof lamps and timers used in the installationof 'Flux Field, 1974'.
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Kinetic Art: A Programmed and A Sound-controlledFlashing-light Installation

225

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Fig. 4. Viewof the components the electricsystemfor the of installation'White Sound, 1975'. lamps and the intensity of the sound output in the three frequency ranges. They are mainly intrigued by the technological feat accomplished, since they are not accustomed to obtaining aesthetic satisfaction from this kind of audio-visual experience. The experience does give me aesthetic satisfaction and I watch the flashing array of lights for several minutes at a time and try to recognize correlations with the radio sound output. References 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. F. J. Malina, ed. Kinetic Art: Theory and PracticeSelections from the Journal Leonardo (New York: Dover, 1974). F. J. Malina, ElectricLight as a Medium in the Visual Fine Arts: A Memoir, Leonardo8, 109 (1975). J. Burnham, The Structureof Art (New York: Braziller, 1971). A. Moles, Information Theoryand AestheticPerception (Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 1968). D. Bohm, Causality and Chance in Modern Physics (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1967).

Fig. 3. View of the installation of 'White Sound, 1975', kinetic electric light art, in the studio of the author. (Fig. 4): (1) AM/FM radio, (2) amplifier, (3) three frequency filters of the amplified radio output (one for the range from 0 to 1,000 Hz, one from 800 to 12,000 Hz and one from 8,000 to 20,000 Hz), (4) an amplifier and noise filter for each frequency range and (5) three TRIAC electronic components, which provided to the lamps varying voltages up 220V as the volume or intensity of the sound input of a frequency range varied. The electronic circuit and components were designed and constructed by the Danish engineer Jorgen Nielsen. The two lamps closest to the floor responded to the lowest frequency range, the next two to the middle range and the two closest to the ceiling to the highest range. Viewers generally when hearing the output of the radio do not notice a correlation between the varying intensity of illumination provided by the three sets of