Longwood Gardens - The Water Lily Courtyard
Blame it on a busy couple of weeks, Bill Clinton, a few other things - this post will be enthusiastic but a bit short. The subject is light - specifically LIGHT! - a magical, transcendent transformation of Longwood Gardens, which, by any definition, is already a magical place. Longwood Gardens, located outside Philadelphia in DuPont country near Wilmington, Delaware, is 1077 acres of graceful ancient trees, spectacular flower gardens and fountains, and the most elegant conservatory, chock full of botanical wonders, that you could ever imagine. It’s worth the trip for the water lilies alone!
LIGHT at Small Lake
Longwood has a lively calendar crammed with concerts, performances and education programs. So why add anything? Well, how about for fun, for the sake of pleasure and joy - why not? Light, by British artist/designer Bruce Munro, is the first art installation ever commissioned by Longwood Gardens. It’s also the first solo work by Munro, who does lighting design for gardens spaces and makes smaller, very intriguing works of art. (See his website link below.)
LIGHT in the Conservatory
In order to experience Light you first have to go to Longwood Gardens at night; hours have been extended to be sure it’s dark enough to get the full effect. Right there you’re out of your comfort zone - then, to take it further, you have to follow garden paths, in the dark, out beyond the gentle world of flower beds to where it’s a little rough around the edges. Light, with eight large outdoor works and several inside the Conservatory, is a thrill on a number of levels.
LIGHT - Forest of Light
My top choices: Water Towers, a sort of Space City of towers, glowing pink, purple and orange in a field at the edge of the forest, and Forest of Light, an abundant fairy dusting of light sticks planted around and beyond one of Longwood’s three magical (there’s that word again) treehouses.
LIGHT - Water Towers
Where does the light in Light come from? Fiber optics–- in creating the ethereal beauty of his installation, Munro has made an important statement about the interface of technology and imagination, redefining art without losing the sensual aesthetic. He’s also a proponent of recycled and renewable materials – Water Towers, for example, is constructed of recycled soda bottles. At night, filled with glowing light, they might as well be diamonds. For details about these and other features of Light, please read my article for the Broad Street Review.
http://www.broadstreetreview.com/index.php/main/article/light_longwood_gardens_first_art_piece1/
Photos thanks to Longwood Gardens (may be enhanced for clarity)
Light will be at Longwood Gardens through September 29.
http://www.brucemunro.co.uk/
http://www.longwoodgardens.org/
http://www.broadstreetreview.com/index.php/main/article/light_longwood_gardens_first_art_piece1/
Photos thanks to Longwood Gardens (may be enhanced for clarity)
Light will be at Longwood Gardens through September 29.
http://www.brucemunro.co.uk/
http://www.longwoodgardens.org/
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