Sublime Reproduction in Olafur Eliasson's Light Installations

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Visual Communication, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

2 Assistant Professor وDepartment of Graphics,, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

Abstract

The following article aims to identify the contemporary sublime in Olafur Eliasson's light installations and aims to identify the different potentials of light in the artist's works. The method of the current research is qualitative and based on the objective approach, which was compiled by descriptive, analytical and document collection methods. In his large installation, Olafur Eliasson creates an immersive atmosphere by using elements such as light, which surprises his audience and in which the sensory and emotional experience of the audience becomes decisive. Eliasson's art of light holds the audience accountable and encourages them to enter a state of heightened awareness. The artistic use of light transforms Eliasson's material identity and gives it an energetic personality and the viewer accordingly can experience a deep and meaningful connection of the works. The results of the research showed that Eliasson's light installations can represent contemporary sublime. By deconstructing the Romantic tradition, Eliasson sharpens the viewer's understanding of the sublime in such a way that he can see himself in this powerful perception and reconnect with the sublime power found in natural phenomena in communicative forms. The concept of "sublime" creates more questions than it answers, and today the word "sublime" is often used in conversation as an ambiguous word and yet, it has a complex and rich history in the fields of art history, philosophy, and literary criticism that has continued to fuel aesthetic and theoretical debates.  There is still much controversy over the experience of "hepsos", meaning exaltation (Longinus, 1991), which is a subjective response to the individual and there is little consensus on what it actually means. Whether represented by an object, event, feeling, or state of mind, the "sublime" refers to something higher and beyond the reach of full understanding. Contemporary artists who use light, such as Olafur Eliasson, aim for a space created by light in the first place. In fact, light is a sculptor of space and a means of perception. Space is enlightenment: a perceptual process in which one can learn to notice, observe, and feel the feats performed by light that link light, space, and perception—a link that is often forgotten in our daily lives. Eliasson's compositional works have a unique quality in which light and space play a key role and the audience is made to think about the mutual relations of light and the space around it. Eliasson's installations may represent today's sublime contemporary, yet we know that technology is accelerating and opening new doors for experimentation in science, art and culture. Many of his works are an example of where the sublime can go. Eliasson allows his modern audience to reconnect with the supreme power of natural phenomena in a mediated way, as he recognizes the attraction of the 21st century to the landscape of nature. With the ability to surprise the audience with his artificial nature, Eliasson engages his feelings about the sublime, and through this passage, the sublime of today's technological world is linked to the past and pristine nature.

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References

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Journal of Fine Arts: Visual Arts
Volume 29, Issue 2
July 2024
Pages 111-122

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