Lighting for public art - enhancing the night-time identity
Improving lighting in public space is always special because it contributes to the images and heritage of a city. Éclat Lighting Initiative invited us to work on the lighting scheme for the art piece by artists Tony Stallard and Joseph Naytowhow. Taking inspiration from the famed saying “As long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow” this culturally significant art piece was hardly noticed by passengers and the text hard to read at night.
The lighting set-up consists of one narrow beam projector to enhance the sculpture and secondly, a gobo projection that makes the text more accessible to passengers both on foot and by car. Just as the art piece, there is no dominant reading direction to the text, as it bends around the sculpture, enhancing it at night.
The results of this lighting intervention as part of #wintershinesand Éclat Lighting Initiative can be seen from the 20th of February. The lighting scheme will be unveiled in the Riversdale District City of Saskatoon. The sculpture is situated on one of the big arterial roads, 20th Street and Ave B.
With projects like this, we aim to enhance public and culturally significant art, adding to the night-time identity of the city in a whole.