Thursday Salute to Originals: Precision Paper Scenes
If you’re a regular to our blog, you’ve probably noticed a pattern. It’s not difficult to see that we tend to highlight cool or unusual applications of lighting and surfaces. And that’s no accident. Our backlit projects are constantly pairing illumination and lenses in a number of different combinations to create one-of-a-kind features. It’s a subject near and dear to our hearts; we simply cannot help ourselves!
So for this Thursday Salute, you probably won’t be surprised that we’re talking about an innovative surface and lighting application. But once you see the photos of this incredibly unique series, we’re betting you’ll forgive us. We have a feeling that, as were we, you’ll be absolutely blown away.
Colorado based artists, Deepti Nair and Harikrishnan Panicker, possess an incredible skill when it comes to manipulating paper and light. Precisely cutting and layering scraps of paper, their dioramas are captivating enough just from the sheer amount of delicacy, attention to detail, and meticulous assembly involved in crafting these 3D works. But when paired with LED backlighting, the depth of these paper sculptures truly comes alive, transporting you to a mesmerizing world of fantasy and whimsical imagination.
Now, Hari and Deepti are certainly not the only artists to have ever experimented with paper and light, we know. But the delicate nature, complex forms, dreamlike subject matter, intensity and blending of lighting all in combination, elevate their works above many others. And the fact that their creations have the potential to appeal to both adults and children (a hard crowd to please when it comes to fine art!), these sculptures exude a certain je ne sais quoi not found in other more serious collections.
But there is one thing we can’t help but wonder when looking at these: how would these dioramas change (or not change) with different light? When backlighting onyx, the color temperature of the lighting is absolutely key in capturing the right aesthetic. There is a delicate balance in selecting a color temperature that not only flatters the stone, but that compliments the design as a whole. Would a cooler white light temperature completely transform the mood of these paper sculptures? And what about a colored light, like red vs. blue? Would the addition of hue alter or influence the emotional undertones exuded by the piece? How would these paper sculptures transform?
Regardless of our curiosities, this backlit application is one we won’t soon forget. We salute Hari and Deepti for masterfully manipulating and molding paper and light into dream-like assemblages that typically only live in the imagination. We hope our backlit onyx features can elicit the same intricate inspiration found in these precision paper scenes!
Image credits: Bored Panda, Black Book Gallery