ABSTRACT
We eat light, drink it in through our skins. With a little more exposure to light, you feel part of things physically. I like feeling the power of light and space physically because then you can order it materially. Seeing is a very sensuous act; there’s a sweet deliciousness to feeling yourself see something. —James Turrell, artist known for his use of light in art
Designing with automated lighting is really not much different than designing with conventional fi xtures. The same design goals typically apply, the techniques are very similar if not the same, and the results, if the designer has met the goals of the design, can be similar. The difference is that the capabilities are greater, the possibilities virtually limitless, and the results can be more spectacular. The fl ip side of the coin is that indiscriminate use of automated lighting can be utterly disastrous. Since automated lighting fi rst became commercially available, the same adage about using automated lights or some variation of it has been uttered many times. The way Anne Militello of Vortex Lighting expressed it was: “Just because it can move doesn’t mean that it has to move.” The corollary to that might be that all movement and color change isn’t necessarily good; use them with purpose and discretion.
