Christian Schiess
Light Sculpture

#1-2 “Lake Aliso, CA Fire/Water Series,” detail view, 65’ x 12” -24” submerged, plexiglas, wire, radiant argon phosphor tubing and a timer operated power supply

#3-4 “Foster Hill Creek, NY Fire/ Water Series,” -area of installation 45ʼ x 25ʼ x 16” -clear PVC tubing, wire, stainless steel and aluminum hardware, fluorescent light and portable power supply; sculpture installation is submerged underwater and partially frozen in snow and ice in a natural setting with a timer operated portable power supply. (sponsored in part by a NY State Council on the Arts Grant) 

#5-6 “Indian Brook Falls, NY Fire/Water Series,” -area of installation 35ʼ x 20ʼ x 16” -clear PVC tubing, wire, stainless steel and aluminum hardware, fluorescent light and portable power supply; sculpture installation is submerged and is kinetic in the water fall turbulence with a timer operated portable power supply. (sponsored in part by a NY State Council on the Arts Grant) 

#7-8“Smithville Flats, NY Fire/Water Series,” -area of installation 95ʼ x 95ʼ x 5ʼ -clear PVC tubing, wire, stainless steel and aluminum hardware, neon light and portable power supply; sculpture installation is submerged underwater to a depth of 1 to 5 ft; the sculpture installation is controlled by a timer operated portable power supply. Two views: mid day detail view and early morning over view. (sponsored in part by a NY State Council on the Arts Grant) 

#1 - “Igna Ligna,” from the Fire/Air Series -72” x 36” x 36ʼ” inflated translucent and colored vinyl, wire, clear plexiglas, aluminum and fluorescent light; sculpture is installed suspended from the ceiling as if floating and responds kinetically to air circulation or touch. 

#2 - “Ignipius,” from the Fire/Air Series -72” x 36” x 36ʼ” inflated translucent and colored vinyl, wire, clear plexiglas, aluminum and fluorescent light; sculpture is installed suspended from the ceiling as if floating and responds kinetically to air circulation or touch. 

#3 - “Ignum Bivium,” from the Fire/Air Series -60” x 36” x 36ʼ” inflated translucent and colored vinyl, wire, clear plexiglas, aluminum and fluorescent light; sculpture
is installed suspended from the ceiling as if floating and responds kinetically to air circulation or touch. 

#4 - “Nimbius XI,” from the Fire/Air Series -  48” x 36” x 36”  inflated translucent and colored vinyl, wire, clear plexiglas, aluminum and fluorescent light; sculpture is installed suspended from the ceiling as if floating and responds kinetically to air circulation or touch. 

 #5 - “Nimbius VII,” from the Fire/Air Series - 48” x 48” x 24”  inflated translucent and colored vinyl, wire, clear plexiglas, aluminum and fluorescent light; sculpture is installed suspended from the ceiling as if floating and responds kinetically to air circulation or touch. 

#6 - “Nimbus,”  from the Fire/Air Series -40” x 36” x 20ʼ”
double inflated translucent and colored vinyl, silk screened mylar, wire, clear plexiglas, aluminum and fluorescent light; sculpture is installed suspended from the ceiling as if floating and responds kinetically to air circulation or touch. 

#7 - “Ignipia,” from the Fire/Air Series -48” x 48” x 24’” double inflated translucent and colored vinyl, wire, clear plexiglas, aluminum and fluorescent light; sculpture is installed suspended from the ceiling as if floating and responds kinetically to air circulation or   touch.

#8 - “Igna Serrata,” from the Fire/Air Series -60” x 36” x 20ʼ” double inflated translucent and colored vinyl, silk screened mylar, wire, clear plexiglas, aluminum and fluorescent light; sculpture is installed suspended from the ceiling as if floating and responds kinetically to air circulation or touch.

#1 - 4 - “Cyber-Lumen Editions” from the Cyber Flower Series, 70” x 46” x12”   

- welded aluminum, variable speed motor, wire,Plexiglas, laminated wood, paint, electronic controls, and multicolored light; the preprogrammed mechanical rotation of the luminous shape forms “floral petal” patterns. (one view of many possible patterns) 

#5 - 8 - “Turbo Flora Editions “ from the Cyber Flower Series - 98” x 42” x 42” -welded aluminum and steel, motors, wire, hardware, Plexiglas , laminated wood, paint, electronics, and polychromatic light; kinetic, luminous, flower patterns electronically programmed and controlled; the entire sculpture rotates clockwise from the base at 4-6 RPM and the four luminous ends at the top of the sculpture spin clockwise and counter clockwise at 85 RPM. (two views of the sculpture as it changes over time) 

#9 - 11 - “Strato Flora” from the Cyber Flower Series; Phaeno Museum commission, Wolfsburg Germany, 96” x 120” x 120” -welded aluminum and steel, motors, wire, Plexiglas, electronics and polychromatic light; sculpture is kinetic and luminous patterns are electronically programmed; entire sculpture is ceiling mounted 30 feet from the floor of the futuristic Zaha Hadid designed museum which has no vertical walls. The two sections of the sculpture appear to intersect and rotate clockwise and counter clockwise at 6 RPM; the four luminous ends spin at 120 RPM in opposite rotation. (two views of the sculpture changing over time) 

#1 - Machined metal, Plexiglas, paint, podocarpus wood elements, stainless steel hardware, and circuline fluorescent light.

#2 -3 - Machined metal, Plexiglas, paint, glass, delrin, wood elements, stainless steel hardware, and circuline fluorescent light.  

#4 -  Machined metal, colored Plexiglas, paint, podocarpus wood elements, stainless steel hardware, and circuline fluorescent light.  

# 5 - Machined metal and colored Plexiglas, podocarpus wood, MDF board, cast concrete, paint, stainless steel hardware, and LED radiant light. 

# 6 - Machined metal and colored Plexiglas, natural wood, MDF board, cast concrete, paint, stainless steel hardware, and LED radiant light. 

#7 - Machined metal and colored Plexiglas, podocarpus wood, MDF board, cast concrete, paint, stainless steel hardware, and LED radiant light. 

# 8 - Welded metal, podocarpus wood, acrylic plastic, paint, stainless steel hardware, caster wheels, and neon.  

#9 - Welded metal, apple wood, acrylic plastic, paint, stainless steel hardware, caster wheels, and neon.   

#10 - Welded metal, plum wood, acrylic plastic, paint, stainless steel hardware, caster wheels, and neon.  

Coal, welded metal, plum wood, acrylic plastic, paint, stainless steel hardware, caster wheels, and neon used in light sculpture gallery art .  

#12 - Coal, glass, metal , podocarpus wood, delrin plastic, stainless steel hardware and neon. 

#13 - Copper wool, glass, aluminum, podocarpus wood, acrylic plastic, stainless steel hardware, and neon.  

 #1 - “Cyber-Lumen Triptych,” 70” x 144” x 20” -  Welded aluminum, variable speed motors, wire,Plexiglas, laminated wood, paint, electronic controls, and multicolored light; viewer interaction allows for motor speed rotation of the luminous shapes from 0- 120 RPM, additional controls for color, intensity and pattern variations. Individual viewer controls are positioned on pedestals 8-10 feet from the sculpture . (sponsored in part by a NY State Council on the Arts Grant and the Roberson Center for the Arts and Sciences, Binghamton, NY)  

#2  & 5  - The Lumen Illusion Series creates the opportunity for the viewers to explore the illusion of motion with on/off sequence rate, sequence direction, and pattern controls. 48” x 70” x 20”

#3 - 4 The Cyber Lumen Series enables viewers to investigate persistence of vision with RPM motor speed, light intensity, and flash rate controls. 48” x 70” x 20”

# 6 - Silicone, wire, plasticine clay, miniature power supply with timer, and phosphor coated fluorescent light; one of several installations at St. Georgeʼs Garden in London, a 16th century cemetery located over a previously used Plague pit burial site (Sponsored in part by a Fulbright Fellowship) 

#7 - Silicone, wire, plasticine clay, miniature power supply with timer, and painted fluorescent light, one of several installations at St. Georgeʼs Garden in London, a 16th century cemetery located over a previously used Plague pit burial site (Sponsored in part by a Fulbright Fellowship) 

#8 - Silicone, wire, plasticine clay, miniature power supply with timer, and painted fluorescent light, one of several installations at St. Georgeʼs Garden in London, a 16th century cemetery located over a previously used Plague pit burial site (Sponsored in part by a Fulbright Fellowship) 

 #1 - 5 - Early collaborative study  exploring the kinetic patterns created by performers manipulating hand-held light wands.

 #6 - Worn by the professional dancer Pilar Limosner; resting between choreographed light displays.

#7 - One of several different color, custom fabricated light suits to be worn by a person approximately 64”-68” height and 120 lb. weight; luminous suit is fitted on a life size wood and plaster mannequin; materials include fabric, acrylic plastic, leather, velcro, wire, assorted fasteners, and fluorescent light; mannequin is holding a tethered 4ʼ yellow fluorescent light wand. Wearing the suit allows a performer to create 3-dimensional volumes of light.

#8-11 Performer creating a simple kinetic volume of light moving their arms and torso. 

“Red Lightning SuitBlue Light Wand”-performer running while creating a complex multicolored kinetic volume of light with their body while wielding a 4 ft blue fluorescent light wand.

Historically, the concept of the film is rooted in Eadweard Muybridge’s pioneering photography of human motion using stop-action. “Luminauts” is a continuation of the study of human motion as revealed through the media of film and neon. Visually the effects in the film are based on portable neon light wands that can be safely carried and manipulated by performers and articulating neon light-suits that are worn by the performers. In the film several performers in neon light-suits of various colors wield light wands and interact in a darkened studio to produce choreographed three dimensional volumes of light. -color, sound, 10 minutes, 1982. - Funded by an American Film Institute/National Endowment for the Arts Grant, Washington, DC

“IGNUS EX MACHINA” (Fire from the Machine) is about machine power and the kinetics of moving light that inspired the Futurist art movement. The film stage equipment consists of four independently controlled kinetic neon light machines. The machines mechanically rotate neon glass tubes with controls for RPM, direction of rotation, sequencing, and light intensity. Performers wearing black dance tights interact with the kinetic light background to produce remarkable human silhouettes. The combination of the constantly rotating neon light positions distorts the performers silhouettes into elongated and compacted forms. -color, sound, 8 minutes, 1985. 

-Funded by a Western States Regional Media Arts Fellowship/National Endowment for the Arts Grant, Denver, CO and a California Arts Council Grant, Sacramento, CA