| Sunset
Forever
Proposal for a public art project in Albuquerque,
Mesa Del Sol, Journal Pavilion Concert Hall. Circular frame
(50 foot diameter), LED luminaries, metal sheets.
Our deep interest in the sun found many resonances
at this site. Mesa del Sol, Albuquerque Sunport - the sun figures
prominently in New Mexico’s physical and mythical landscapes.
Its abundance and beauty is hard to deny in any outdoor context.
Being based in Los Angeles, we arranged for
pictures to be taken of the site, to better understand the site
contours, viewing horizons and so on. It is clear that the site
requires a large-scale installation. It is also crucial that
the artwork serves not only as an entrance marker, but a response
to the Journal Pavilion audience. We wanted this artwork to
appear familiar as an object on the horizon. This “Sun”
can be viewed from both sides, up to quite a distance.
Sunset Forever consists of a circular frame
with horizontal rows of diffused LEDs on both sides. These light
tubes are video controlled, able to produce millions of colors
in smooth transitions. Between the LED tubes are perforated
metal sheets, hinged on top and free below. Acting as a reflective
surface in bright daylight, they move with the wind, creating
an overall reflective surface that shimmers much like a mirage.
Our 'Sun' is not an immutable, unchanging object.
It is actually closer to the moon, as we anticipate using phases
of different colors, on a timeline that could be the days of
the week, days left to the next Journal Pavilion show, or other
such. So one could go from a completely blood-red disk to an
utterly blue one, over a week, or a day, or an hour. We would
like these changes to be strong and simple, readable as a sign
by a broad audience.
We anticipate having the ability to create
detailed light movements and animations, within a basic color
palette. In other words, while one can see only a blue disc
from a distance, as we get closer it appears to flow and move,
with rhythms and waveforms that are almost musical. Newer lighting
technologies allow this level of control, making possible a
kind of shimmering blue planet on the horizon. The actual waveforms
in the lighting could be generated interactively from live sound,
for example. Thus on a concert evening, the disc would pulse
visibly in sync with the music. - Ulke, Sukumaran
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