Monumental mirage: Luminous sculptures at desert festival

Smith first came to the public’s attention with Lucid Stead, a deserted cabin that appeared to be translucent, thanks to the artist’s clever use of lighting and mirrors. 

Reflection Field is a similar concept, but on a larger scale, and is Smith’s largest installation to date. Five square and rectangular 18 feet x 17 feet sculptures, made of LED lights and mirrored slats, stand in the festival field, reflecting the earth and sky during the day, and transforming into colourful, luminous ‘volumes of light’ by night. Smith carefully programmed the lights to make the structures play off one another and their surroundings. At times the colour seemed to bleed into the sky, and at other times it was a serene reflection of the desert location.

For more on designers’ use of rainbow hues and lighting to create prismatic and playful experiences, read our Lucid Spectrum design direction.