Twenty years ago, I saw Olafur Eliasson's The Weather Project at the Tate Modern in London. It was simply unforgettable. I decided to replicate it at home.
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01
The Original Inspiration
The Sun, brought inside. It had such incredible warmth and mass.
Photo credit
InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
02
Light Source and Colour
A first foray into learning about lighting. I picked an LED light source with a high colour rendering index and light colour range 2700-6500K. It still wasn't warm enough so I experimented with filters.
03
Structure
I built the structure by bending Wiggle Wood around an MDF form and bonding in place. The LED heatsinks also served as mounting brackets. The plywood set the distance between light source and diffuser - too small and each LED would be visible, too large and we waste space.
04
Wiring
This was a chance to re-learn how to solder after a twenty year hiatus. I soldered the LED strips together and wired up the power supply.
05
Diffuser Material
Testing packaging paper as diffusers. I found the unattenuated light gave me a headache within seconds - something to avoid in the finished article.
06
Mounting
That's what family's for - helping hands
07
Light Feel
Mounted on the wall - the light doesn't look too big.
08
Mylar Reflector
A cheap reflective film to mirror the semi-circle and complete the Sun/moon. The film crinkled easily and each ripple punctured the illusion.
09
A Better Mirror
Switching to an acrylic mirror created a better reflection and cleaned up the finish to make it look complete.
10
Sunshine
Done is better than perfect. The light isn't as warm or enveloping as I'd dreamed of, but it's nice to bring another thing into the world.
