What struck me about the pieces shown during last night’s Nuit Blanche was that all the ideas were entirely doable by any person. In fact I feel that way about most art pieces. Its the idea that matters, and frankly, it doesn’t have to be an original idea to make an impact. Ideas and memes spread so quickly, to credit them with someone’s name seems almost impossible. This isn’t even a “in this day and age” concept, we still argue about whether the Wright brothers invented the airplane, or Bell invented the phone first. Watch Blinkenlights in the video above for example. What is the critical difference between this presentation and a LED matrix controlled by a computer?
The critical difference is the wherewithal to attempt a project this big. The scope of this project was aweinspiring but the technology (in concept) was simple. The mechanics and performance where anything but simple, but it was done so effectively it left you with that same feeling you get watching elite sports atheletes perform. Like magic.
This piece was inspiring, not because I found the artistic statement to be profound, but because I saw the look in the people’s faces as they watched the presentation. That amazement is something I want to strive for in all my works.
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