ROSSINiLLUMINA » Light elsewhere

Light in philosophy

Laura — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:30:53 +0000

Are we sure about what light really is? The word ‘light’ which originates from Greek refers to the root of the verb ‘to show’, ‘to portray’. For the ancient Greeks, light guided human intellect to truth, just like a lighthouse guides lost sailors to safety. Over the centuries it has always been a symbol of superior and transcendent dimensions, the symbol of what human reasoning gravitates to.

Pythagoras believed that the eye was like a lighthouse for the soul, that shone a light to help us explore the environment around us and allow us to perceive it. Democritus, a very influential exponent of the atomists, believed that light travelled from the object to the eye thus triggering sight.

In the Middle Ages light represented the divine, during the Age of Enlightenment it reached its peak becoming a metaphor of the means by which man can “emerge from his self-imposed nonage”, as written by Kant, portrayed by the obscurantism of the Counter-Reformation as the human incapacity to autonomously make use of one’s intellect.

Why does light have such a deep relevance? Only when it is absent and darkness fills its place does man acknowledge its importance and its magic. Light is what allows man to experience reality and interpret its beauty with our own eyes, giving us the freedom to live appreciating its magnificence without limiting life to a struggle for survival. Without light the world would be a place of confused colourless masses because thanks to light we can perceive colours, important elements that make reality seem like a painting and transform ordinary shapes into works of art. From its brightness colours are born and from colours beauty is born, this is the primary characteristic of the reality man can perceive thanks to the brilliance and pure energy of light; it is the fulcrum, the fifth element that gives origin to the first four, passing through our eyes and reaching our intellect allowing us to be aware of water, air, land and fire, all things that without light would not exist in our sight.

So let us close with a quote from Plato: “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
Maddalena Bellasio

Special guest: Edward Hopper

Laura — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 08:29:27 +0000

Our section devoted to light in the art field could not but give a special attention to Edward Hopper (1882-1967): the painter of light, silence and solitude, who was able to represent the fixity of the American province masterfully. Suspended situations, seemingly trivial, which seem to imply an occurrence that, maybe, will change the scene. Until then, we wait, watch the scene and try to figure out from where the light with those violent and precise cuts comes. We imagine the stories of the characters who are there, waiting for something or someone. Not surprisingly, even the great Wim Wenders wanted to tell about the iconic American artist through a wonderful documentary, La tela bianca (the white canvas), produced in collaboration with Centre Pompidou, giving him an indirect role in the history of the cinema and a recognizable influence in several film productions, from Hitchcock up to date. At the exhibition that hosted him in Milano at Palazzo Reale, year 2009, another artist felt the need to enter Hopper’s world physically; then, here is the interactive and multimedia installation by the Austrian Gustav Deutsch, who faithfully recreated the scene of the famous painting “Morning sun”.

Light in futurist key

Elisa — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 09:14:23 +0000

Light, no light and shade, the dazzling and complete darkness.
In the closing credits and in the back covers the reference to these – true-protagonists always miss. In a film, a painting, a multimedia installation as well as a sui generis artist layout. Even in music, when the right words leave imagine a scene: at night, or at sunrise…

There is (there isn’t) light and perception is influenced, the work changes. This is the intent of the section “Light elsewhere”. Discover together with you what and how the light made us dream, but not only.

Share with us your favourite light citations: movies, music, tv shows, art … everything is accepted!

Let’s start with one of our proposal: a painting by Balla, one of the leading exponents of Italian Futurism, which with its “Arc lamp” represents the magic of light refraction. The painting was purchased and is still exhibited at the MOMA in New York and the artist described it as follows: I painted the lamp picture during my pointillist period (1900-1910); in fact, the glow of light is obtained through the combination of pure colours. This picture not only is an original artwork, it is scientific too because I tried to represent the light by separating the colours that compose it… Light in futurist key!