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Metaphysics of light in modern art

Metaphysics of light in modern art

What is light art? What philosophical trends form its foundations? In her research, Dr Paulina Tendera from the JU Chair in Comparative Studies of Civilisations investigates these issues.

"I've been researching modern light art for the past five years. Before that, I was (and still am) interested in European metaphysics of light. My book – Od filozofii światła do sztuki światła [From philosophy of light to light art] – is devoted to that subject", said Dr Tendera.

Nadia Issa, Klepsydra [Hourglass], 2016, author's private collection

Light art is a type of artistic creation which is very difficult to define. Some people think that Gothic or Byzantine stained glass may be considered light art. There's a lot of truth in it, as their creators masterfully employed light, both physically and symbolically, to reach their desired goals. After all, they were inspired by ancient traditions of metaphysics of light, which dates back to Plato. In spite of that, the term "light art" was not established until the 20th century, probably because it followed the invention of lightbulb and electric light. Today, when we say "light art", we understand it as "new media art", in which light is the most important source of aesthetic experience and meaning of the work of art.

Dr Paulina Tendera's research project concerns modern art, and its basis are the author's philosophical interests, closely related to Neoplatonism. She's not interested in ascribing any ethical values to art, and she does not research individual, emotional experiences of art. She doesn't catalogue every light installation. "I look for works of art with a very pronounced religious or cultural context – they're the most important ones in philosophy. I search for works that have retained their symbolism, that have not become metaphors or allegories", explained Dr Tendera. Contrary to metaphors and allegories, symbols are signs with a broad set of philosophical, religious and cultural meanings. For instance, a dove can be a metaphor of peace, but it's impossible to say that the Star of David or crucifix are metaphors of anything. They are religious symbols, bearers of historical and cultural narrative that gives them meaning, which is objective, but may not be clear to everyone.

Alicja Panasiewicz, Kałuża Św. Tomasza [St. Thomas' Puddle], author's private collection

Alicja Panasiewicz's Kałuża Św. Tomasza [St. Thomas' Puddle], pictured on the right, is an excellent example of modern light art presenting a symbol, not a metaphor. As its title suggests, to understand it, you have to know a little bit about the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. It is crucial to know how scholasticism (generally speaking: the method of critical thought which dominated the teaching by the academics of medieval universities) defines the meaning of light, how it explains God through that light, what is its relationship with the entire creation; and how the word claritas (brightness) changed its meaning during the 13th century. It's difficult to believe that a work of art so deep and theologically meaningful is just a few years old.

One of Dr Tendera's conclusions is that the younger generations are not familiar with symbols as bearers of cultural identity. It's all the more reason to be happy, then, that works of such magnitude as Włodzimierz Szymański's Macewy [Matzevahs], Nadia Issa's Klepsydra [Hourglass], and the previously mentioned Kałuża Św. Tomasza are being created in Poland. "In my opinion, the purpose of art is reflection, and reflection is not based on emotions. However, in the end, reflection is also supposed to lead us to beauty", concluded Dr Tandera.

Picture below the title: Macewy by Włodzimierz Szymański.
Original text: www.nauka.uj.edu.pl

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