What does the class title “Interactive Light” mean?
Seeing isn't believing, we want to reach out and touch to confirm our observation, its as if we’re hardwired to react to wonder in this way. This was apparent from the first time at the
San Francisco Exploratorium in 1972, when I reached out and touched the lightning
in a Bill Parker Xenon filled plasma sculpture.
Parker is widely considered the father of modern plasma art, establishing a
high technical and artistic benchmark for all artists to follow. He’s
responsible for the large plasma globes we're all familiar with utilizing an
external electrode that I will go over in a later blog entry.
Bill Parker with "Quiet Lightning" at SF Exploratorium
Behind this interaction of wonderment there is also a fundamental principle of physics at
work calling for your contact with a plasma object. These streaming wisps of light are positively charge ions
flowing around looking to discharge their energy to a negatively charged body(you) or earth ground. There can be a greater or
lesser emphasis placed upon this interaction but it is impossible to ignore.
Mundy Hepburn installation at Charles F Smith Fund 2006
Then of course there’s the whimsical sculptures of Mundy Hepburn. Hepburn has been combining
offhand blown forms with neon flameworking for decades. These are displayed in large
dancing groups of luminous forms. I want
to introduce to you some of whom I consider the best plasma artists of our time
in the course of this blog.
