Over the last few weeks, we have been exploring the impact of light on our mental health but so far we haven’t delved into how light can express our emotions, and induce new emotional states that help us better understand ourselves.
This week we speak to light artist and sculptor, Frankie Boyle, about how her immersive light works do just that. They viscerally express emotion and in doing so, they entrance, connect and educate people about the power of light.
Frankie speaks passionately about how intrinsic light is to the human experience. We evolved around light and, as such, light has an intrinsic role in our cognitive processes, mental health, and social experience. Gathering around light, whether that’s fire or the sun or the television, has always been an integral part of building community and connection between people.
Frankie sculptures are similarly designed to bring people together. She hopes to ease peoples’ stress by "creating installations or sculptures where people can come and have that community, have that tribe, come and see that together and have that connection.” The ice is broken by the shared awe at the beauty of light. The sculptures are responsive, and full of movement, which creates a feeling of identity and presence for the viewer. By sharing this experience of seeing and being seen, the audience finds catharsis, release, and new connections and vulnerabilities are exchanged.
Discover more of Frankie’s work: https://frankieboylestudio.com/
This interview is the third installment in our Mental Health Awareness series for October. Discover the previous interviews here and here.
Next week, we speak to the Good Light Group.