In physics, the term “light” sometimes refers to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not; and as recently as 2018, scientists reported the discovery of a new form of light. But light can also be understood in more poetic terms. And for some creatives types—it can even provide a source of inspiration.
Such is the work of British artist Liz West. Inspired and very much based around the physical quality of light, her art spans site-specific installations and sculptures. Treating light as her source material, West fills architectural spaces or fabricated structures that immerse the viewer in a rich, saturated environment.
According to West, her fascination with light began in her childhood: “Most of my earliest memories as a child were of discovering the world in a sensory capacity,” she recalled in an interview with Young Artists in Conversation. “I was attracted to objects, land and city scapes, spaces and fashion that were made of vibrant colors, the brightest tones, and hues and of strong saturation.”
Having graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2007, she has since exhibited her work worldwide by renowned institutions and organizations that include the Natural History Museum, London Design Festival, Natural England, and Bristol Biennial.
Her recent work includes a structure comprised of six ceiling-height tinted segments, made of steel, polycarbonate, paint, and polyester film. The work, explains West, allows visitors to move in and around the installation in order to see their surroundings and own reflection saturated in different hues.
“I believe that understanding of color can only be realized through the presence of light,” explains the visual artist. “For me, the two mediums of color and light are inextricably connected. Subjective mixtures of colors are core to my understanding of color and have helped shape the backbone of my practice, but it is my ongoing investigations into additive mixtures that inspire my work.”
