The Lightpaintings of Stephen Knapp

Exhibit Dates: April 13, 2008 to August 31, 2008
The internationally renowned artist Stephen Knapp will present an exhibition of his spectacular lightpaintings. Knapp fills the walls with vibrant color using only mirrors, dichroic filters and focused light sources. The exhibition will feature a broad selection these stunning creations.

Lightpaintings expand the concept of light sculpture and light art and continue the traditions of kinetic art, op art and abstract painting. Knapp's lightpaintings are the intersection of painting, sculpture and technology, exploring color, light and space and may be a harbinger of the future of painting. Stephen Knapp has over thirty years experience creating installation art and exploring the possibilities of light. His work can be found in museum, public, corporate and private collections. To learn more about Knapp's work go to www.lightpaintings.com.

This exhibition is made possible with support from the Robert T. and Ruth Haidt Hughes Memorial Endowment Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, and Tamarack Lodge with media support from TV 7&4 and Northern Express.

Stephen Knapp's Artist Statement

Light has played a major part in my work throughout my career, from photography to the etched metal, ceramic and slate murals on which the surface conditions were worked for reflectivity, to the large kiln formed art glass walls that displayed color and movement in a dance of light.

Layers of shadow, textures and change and how they affect our perception of an object has long been a fascination. Research into materials and dialogues with engineers and manufacturers and fabricators has also been a constant in my work as has the integrity of the materials - in this case light, glass and stainless steel.

Out of these processes and materials have come lightpaintings, in which I separate white light into pure color and paint with light. Each piece has a presence that far exceeds its physical dimensions. Stainless steel grounds the surface and its reflections ground the planes of light.

Glass allows me to manipulate and explore light and illusion, creating pure colors. I revel in their purity, their breathtaking richness - yet I am most drawn to the edges and the soft shadows that overlay a whisper of color and the borders that define space. It is here that mystery and depth and wonder can be found.

Dreams and imagination command much of our lives when we are young, yet time and society move us into structures that leave little time for them. In lightpaintings I strive to create destinations, small pieces of wonder, places for introspection and meditation where hopes, dreams and aspirations are possible

Entering a lightpainting or any work of art invokes a conditional promise to do so with open eyes, to be aware of possibilities. Perception and interaction lead to an act of mutual discovery, a universal bond of our existence. There is no right answer hidden within each piece, only a shared journey.

Stephen Knapp

Image: Stephen Knapp in his studio