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
Like any artist, a lighting designer needs a variety of tools with which to ply the trade. As the saying goes, if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail. The one thing lighting designers most desire is the ability to create looks that have never before been seen. If variety is indeed the spice of life, then a variety of looks in a show is the elixir that might prolong a lighting designer’s career. Having a variety of lighting instruments with which to create these looks is important. It should come as no surprise that automated lighting luminaire types closely parallel those of conventional luminaires. What works for conventional lights generally works for automated lights.
