Light-Reactive Art/Participatory surfaces
In recent years I have been exploring light-reactive art - works designed to transform and shift under colour-changing lights. Using colour theory techniques, each piece is designed to respond dynamically as changing hues reveal different layers.
As the light shifts, static images blur into kinetic illusions, creating an ever-changing visual experience. Each viewing becomes an immersive encounter, synchronised to the rhythm of the surrounding light.
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This work now forms the foundation of my current projects. While light-reactive art has been shown in various contexts, it is rarely paired with true audience participation. I am excited to explore what happens when the public are given control of the light and various other parameters, opening up new dimensions of discovery and interaction.
Light-Reactive artwork examples:
Original Artwork
Here are some examples of my light-reactive artwork. You can hover your mouse over the right-hand column of clips to play them
Under RGB lights
Participatory Light-reactive Surfaces
I have printed my light-reactive patterns on to various fabrics and experimented with RGB lights and oil projectors. The next step - Participatory Light-Reactive Surfaces, takes this further by using a digital projector and Resolume to project seperate RGB video layers that audiences can directly control and manipulate, bringing the fabrics to life in a more dynamic way.
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I also plan to integrate live video feeds, so a viewer's silhouette or face could appear in a contrasting colour to the projected light - revealing hidden layers of the image in a way that is unique to them.
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The aim is to make these light-reactive patterns even more immersive, while keeping the mechanics mysterious. By doing this I hope to invite curiosity and encourage audiences to puzzle out what is happening together, creating shared moments of discovery and connection.
Below are two examples: on the left, RGB video layers projected and manipulated through Resolume; on the right, my first test using a webcam to create a colour-shifting live feed.
Experimenting with Resolume video feed using my laptop webcam
These early trials show the potential for a new way of presenting light-reactive art - one that is both interactive and immersive. By linking microcontrollers to selected parameters and incorporating live camera feeds, audiences will be able to influence the visuals directly and even weave themselves into the visual experience.