A congregation of colourful mirrored discs fills the nave of the former St John’s church building, now 20-21 Visual Arts Centre gallery, in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, UK. The spectacular new installation currently on show until 25 June, 2016, by British artist, Liz West is titled ‘Our Colour Reflection,” and treats visitors to just that – an immersive chromatic experience where viewers bear witness to the spectacle and wonder of dancing colour as the natural light traverses through the interior of the neo-gothic architecture, creating multicoloured reflections in various shapes and forms onto the vaults, beams, columns, and pitched ceilings. With a colour palette clearly derived from traditional stained glass windows, the different sized circular mirrors are mounted onto clear acrylic cylindrical stands and strewn across the stone floor. The beautifully random placement of the primary- and secondary-coloured discs ignites a spark of joy, since it looks as if the disks filled the room after a confetti cannon explosion and were left to rest where they fell…
Liz West’s signature tools of colour and lights are intended to transform people’s spatial experience, coupled with her deep consideration of the historic use of the site as a place of worship and spirituality. Alluding to just this West states that the aim was “to provoke a heightened sensory awareness in the viewer, tapping into our deeply entrenched relationship with colour, and exploring how it can move viewers, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.” As visitors explore and move throughout the space the reflective finishes allow them to catch glimpses of themselves within the context of the piece creating a personal and unique experience, allowing them to engage further in the dialogue between viewer, artwork and architecture.
Photo by Hannah Devereux.
