Ember
Ember, named after the smoldering remains of a fire, is a set of varied lighting objects. Each pine frame cages the light, projecting linear shadows in the given space it lives in. The pine is treated with shou sugi ban, an ancient Japanese wood technique that preserves the wood by charring it with fire. When placing the ring light source in the center of the frame, it gives the illusion that the light itself slowly blackened the wood, much like an ember. The lamps– Ijon, Mascon, and Lem– are a reference to Stanilaw Lem’s The Futurological Congress. In the book, a fictional drug called mascons act as blockers to the senses and replace it with a superficial reality. In the same sense, the wooden frames attempt to block the light, which represents truth.
Victoria Pawlyk, 2020
Material Burnt pine, LED strips, acrylic
Ijon 9” x 9” x 16”
Mascon 18” x 9” x 16”
Lem 18” x 9” x 58”
