Reconstruction 7 & Ambiguous Icon #5 (Running, Falling) 

These two of Jim Campbell’s works are composed of LED lights to construct low-resolution imagery broken down by light units. The images are defined more by movement and rhythm rather then modern technological pushes for higher resolution of every detail. Ambiguous Icon is a matrix of red LEDs to form pixels drawing out various light values to animate a loop of a figure running and falling. Reconstruction uses a resin diffusion screen to soften the LED array of pixels to form a traffic scene.

Being able to see how each LED pixel defines a small part of the image shows the dependency on such a small dot to be able to form a cohesive picture. It seemed almost vintage to me because everything in the world is focused on picking out the smallest detail in high definition. Campbell’s work here defines a simpler visual that is a lot easier to take in. It makes me feel like what’s around me isn’t so busy and fast-paced, that the motion of the world around me is more gradual as if I’m watching an old video. As mentioned before, Campbell broke away from mainstream high definition images. Rather than making everything in these pieces extremely clear, it’s like he’s allowing the viewers to interpret it themselves with only seeing the vague shapes and movements. There’s more human perception in picking up how the lighting works.

Tilted Plane

This is an installation also by Jim Campbell. Hundreds of light bulbs are suspended along an angled ceiling in a dark room and follow a flickering pattern to depict low resolution patterns. Viewers could define for themselves what the obscure patterns are, which is only sensible by its rhythm. Since we could walk through the grid of light bulbs, our perspective keeps changing in how we see the lights.

The whole lowly lit room seemed other-worldly and intimate. If I were to lay down on the floor, looking up at the light bulbs would be almost like staring at the stars at night. It’d be a very nice way to end a busy day of working and moving around, entirely peaceful and quiet. It’s relaxing and free.

This work is similar to Campbell’s other art based on low resolution displays. It’s a continuation of working with how perception of light and movement defines what we see. The old fashion light bulbs is a departure from high definition technology on bright screens and billboards. Campbell brings LED lighting to primitive technology in order to capture the basics of images.