Everything in our sensory world plays it part, I see and think in pictures and movement, a piece of music can be the start point for a piece of work a recent example of this was a lighting installation I created for Liverpool Light Night in LIPA. Having being a huge admirer of all things Brian Eno for quite sometime I happened upon his beautiful app “Bloom” co created with software developer Peter Chilvers, together they created a place where for once our smart devices can offer a stop off at calm and with the gentlest tap and play, become ambient music composers at the same time! What is not to like there? With a choice of colour pallets included it triggered me to both share and replicate in some way a Room of Calm idea was planted.

some of the various colour choices you can play with Bloom

I have always being fascinated with light in general with the last few years at LIPA distilling this to a new appreciation of the effects on people of light and colour. Which leads me to another big inspirational artist who’s work influenced this project. Olafur Eliason, who has created some of the most stunning and sometimes questioning work with colour and light and the effect this has on people engaging with them. One of his most memorable the Weather Project at Tate Modern when people began to sit and bathe in the SUN he created in the vast turbine hall

Weather Project Tate Modern 2003

Weather Project Turbine Hall Tate Modern 2003

His work inspirational in many ways with his strong focus on the ecological and sustainability, one of my favourite projects is the solar powered light now rolling out around the world where electricity is scarce and helping many to both work and study.

I have a great love of re-appropriating everyday objects and materials to both recycle and discover their attributes on a creative level. I knew I needed something big for the proposed space and that it must emit light in a soft and glowing way, from my photographic history worked with perspex backlit backgrounds, which transmit light in such a beautiful way. So where to find something ?

One of my clients happened to be just that and industrial plastics manufacturer ! I know the gods of fate were on my side aligned with the fact that as a bit of cheeky bugger in the approach that in if you don’t ask you will never know and you never know people may say yes! Which they did ! really interested to see what I could do with some of their huge diverse range and turn them into a three dimensional bloom! Fun with drills, strings of LED fixtures ,me and my team of helpers set about creating the Room of Calm . I had researched and created a range of colours that have being proven to lower the heart rate and aid relaxation, these moved around the installation during the 10 min performance, accompanied by a sound track of course Brian Eno a new piece called Reflection .

And then there is my custodian of the space Molly a 3rd year acting student, I wanted people to be encouraged to interact with the piece so with her gentle voice and slow actions she also occupied the space to help the public find their spot to either sit or as some did be enveloped by the light .

Many Thanks to Stamford Plastics Mailbox Division for your support