Chris Levine – Light 3.142 at the Fine Art Society

We all need light. It doesn’t matter where it comes from – the sun during the day, from a lightbulb at night – light is everywhere, and arguably one of the essential trademarks of 20^th century humanity. Malls, roads, public monuments, commercial signs… everything depends on light.

 A number of artists have pushed the idea further and transformed this modern necessity into art. Among them is UK-based Canadian, Chris Levine, who brings a new vision of light in his new exhibition Light 3.142 at the Fine Art Society.

Following his internationally acclaimed portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, Lightness of Being (2004), Chris Levine reveals his latest muse, Kate Moss, and proposes a new way to experience a light art exhibition. Once again featuring the face of one of the most recognisable people on Earth, his current series She’s Light offers a fresh perspective on a well-known figure. As quiet as the Queen, Kate Moss is replicated Warhol-style. The portraits reflect a timeless muse, difficult to pin down or understand. 

Levine transforms lighting innovations into pieces of art. But it is only a medium – his ultimate aim is to alert the audience to what light can bring: an inner meditative glow against the crude glare of fame.

The masterpiece of the collection, Flower of Light (2013), which could be mistaken for a flat digital discoball, creates vibrant and exquisite waves of light, giving the impression of red sunbeams caught on the surface of a sea caressed by the wind. This modern visual poetry is not only mesmerizing but the sculpture itself shows us the way to something deeper, a new road to see the colour in the darkness and the possibility to change an internal landscape.

Chris Levine ably demonstrates that the next step towards enlightenment is lighting.

Carole Mendy

Chris Levine: Light 3.142 is at The Fine Art Society until 15^th June 2013. For further information visit the gallery’s website here.

For further information about Chris Levine visit the artist’s website here.