Artificial Things: Lighting

Artificial Things: Lighting

General Understanding of Lighting in “Artificial Things”

• Guy Hoare is the lighting designer for “Artificial Things.”
• The lighting design is integral in creating the overall mood and ambiance of the performance.
• The use of lighting helps to depict both literal and abstract messages to the audience.
• Contrasting lighting states are used to represent different scenarios and emotions.

Lighting Techniques Used in “Artificial Things”

• Overhead lighting is prevalent throughout ‘Artificial Things’, casting shadows on the dancers and creating a dramatic effect.
• Side lighting is used to highlight the physicality of the dancers and to add depth to the performance space.
• Intensity and colour of the lighting are altered at key moments in the performance, creating contrast and emphasising key themes and transitions.

Role of Lighting in Communicating the Themes of “Artificial Things”

• Lighting highlights the isolation of Dave (wheelchair user) from the rest of the group during certain parts of the ensemble.
• Bright white lighting is used to depict the confined space in which the performers find themselves.
• The warm and cold lighting used alternately depicts the transition from reality to fantasy.
• A dramatic lighting shift dramatically communicates the shift into the chaotic climactic scene.

Lighting’s Connection with Other Performance Elements

• Lighting is critical in defining and manipulating the performance space. It can accentuate or minimise certain aspects of the space and the dancers within it.
• Interplay between lighting, choreography, costume, and music is key to the overall aesthetic of ‘Artificial Things.’
• Lighting creates specific moods and atmospheres that influence the audience’s perception of the dance piece and its underlying themes.