The museum is essentially a vessel contain- ing a tangible heritage of humanity and its environment. Rather than creating an object- based catalogue or chronicle of the museum, these photographs are an exploration of the temporal experience of light and shadow within the space of the museum. Some of these diminutive experiences may amount to nothing more than a cast shadow outside a washroom or a momentary reflection on the floor or glass, events not generally immediate to typical museum-goers. Although each of these museums is iconic and widely recog- nized, the intention is to dematerialise the subject matter and to focus on the interaction of building and light. Light conditions connect us to our environ- ment and define our daily experience. In the southwestern desert I was struck by the in- tense direct overhead light and the crisp clean shadows it produces. Vancouver provides a dramatic contrast to these desert conditions where many days are under complete cloud cover. Overcast sky conditions often evoke melancholy or even depression, however they also create unique light conditions with an ephemeral quality and unparalleled beauty. Overcast sky simulators are common in archi- tecture and are used to investigate the limits of even light distribution within architectural space from a uniform luminous diffusing canvas. Simulation is done on a completely pragmatic level, and the primary intention is to analyse a building and effectively eliminate solar heat gains, glare or even visual comfort. As with most simulators the permutations of sky conditions is virtually endless. This is an understatement under natural conditions. Not only will the light quality and character change with time or climatic conditions such as wind or density of cloud cover, it will obvi- ously change based on geographic location. This series of photographs examines four museums which contain completely different collections and are disconnected geographi- cally as well as culturally: their connection here is through their interaction with the environment, its atmosphere and its occu- pants. The museums have been photographed under overcast skies, low-level artificial light and at dusk and dawn. In addition, some spaces were captured in times of extreme high occupancy, others in the complete absence of inhabitants. ~
51
archives and museums: On Site review 20
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator