Light focus: Bring on the sun
Why do we crave sunlight? Read on to discover Kickstarter's campaign: Sunn Light.
Words by Jill Entwistle
Even for those who don't suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) there is a deep atavistic need to see the sun in the dark depths of winter. It is apparently a recurring inspiration for light artists. Danish artist Olafur Eliasson famously created his own version (Weather Project) for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern some years ago. Rafael Lozano-Hammer created his Solar Equation for the Melbourne Light Festival, recreating it for the last Lumiere in Durham. Meanwhile London's King's Cross saw a new installation last winter in the form of Winter Sun.
Or, on a somewhat smaller scale...
Solar Equation
Rafael Lozano-Hammer
A large-scale public art installation, Solar Equation is a faithful simulation of the sun, 100 million times smaller than the real thing. It features the world's largest spherical balloon, custom-manufactured, and animated using five computer-linked projectors. The constantly changing and non-repetitive animation was generated by live mathematical equations that simulated the turbulence, flares and sunspots that can be seen on the surface of the sun. It gave viewers a glimpse of the phenomena observable at the solar surface that only relatively recent advances in astronomy have discovered.
The project uses the latest SOHO and SDO solar observatory imaging available from NASA, overlaid with live animations derived from Navier-Stokes, reaction diffusion, perlin, particle systems and fractal flame equations.
Viewers could also use an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to disturb the animations in real-time and select different fluid dynamic visualisations.
Sunn Light
Subject of a Kickstarter campaign and at pre-order stage, the Sunn Light is a smart LED light fixture that continuously changes colour and brightness, approximating natural light conditions throughout the day. It works with both Philips Hue and LIFX colour-change LED sources. Available hardwired or to plug in, it comes in two sizes: 48cm and 61cm, both 9cm deep, and has an output of 105lm/W.
Sunn Lights automatically adjust to the colour of sunlight at the user's location and time, and will learn and adapt according to specific user needs. Using a phone app, the fittings can also be adjusted to the lighting conditions from a different time of day, designed for instances when users deviate from their usual sleep-wake cycle, due to jet lag or a late-night work session, for example.
Like existing LED, sun-mimicking alarms, they can also be set to start with a sunrise effect to wake sleepers up more gently as they gradually brighten. Conversely the Ember Fade setting gradually dims the light as you approach bedtime. If you need to get up in the middle of the night, shaking the phone activates Moonlight Mode, which provides just the right amount of illumination to find your way without disturbing others. It also preserves your night vision, making it easier for you to fall back asleep. sunnlight.com
Winter Sun
Collaboration between artists James Bowthorpe and Kim Coleman, with architect Andrew Lock
Installed at Granary Square, King's Cross, from early December to mid-January, Winter Sun was a circular structure, 5m high by 18m wide, which stood among the trees in the square. It enclosed a bar and social space that continually dimmed and brightened, encircled by 12 glowing 'suns' emulating natural light.
Some suns mimicked daylight, others continuously simulated daybreak, while those in darkened corridors appeared like moons, illuminated using recorded light from around the structure projected back into the space.
The design of the bar, right down to the lighting and staff uniforms, was all part of the creative concept, referencing sunlight and created using exposed light-sensitive materials.
