Lighting London - it ain't art, but then...

One of the best things about writing on Public Art and Public Space is the lack definitions. The field has no rules as to what is aesthetically successful. No rules on what kind of creations are included. No rules on which art centers get to officially generate the new and interesting.

As my wife and I have attempted to sell my wife's painting at an arts festival this weekend, I leave to you the Switch on London project. The work is by lighting designers and focuses on the lack of pure color in our world. Some of the designers are creating guerilla light art which is made successful by selection of site. It reminds me the growing field of creative people using light to make installation. Lights On Tampa was a huge success according to the Public Art Network that included nearly every project in its 2006 Best of American Public Art. Lighting designers like Linnaea Tillett have been collaborating. A long list of public artists from Thomas Heatherwick to Leni Schwendinger have made an art of public projects using light.

Visit the Switch on London and check out the "project" tab. Under the "lighting designers" tab are links to each designer with more examples of contemporary technology.