Introduction
The Arcwright Project is an ambitious exploration into the structured motion of light, merging art, engineering, and celestial mechanics to create luminous orbits that transcend traditional light painting. Conceived as a natural extension of my geometric painting practice, this project is not just about capturing light—it is about controlling it, refining it, and elevating it into a discipline of precision.
At its core, The Arcwright Project is a study in orbital motion, structured luminography, and the engineering of halos—geometric expressions of light that hover with a presence both ephemeral and monumental. Through custom-built tools like The Arcangel (ARC-02) and The Trajector (ARC-01),the project is advancing the boundaries of engineered light motion.
Arcwright Orbit
The Origins of The Arcwright Project
The seeds of The Arcwright Project were planted in my large-scale geometric paintings, where precision and discipline were already integral to my practice. As I sought ways to expand my work beyond the two-dimensional plane, I envisioned light as a dynamic, sculptural medium—one that could interact with my paintings in structured motion rather than static illumination. This vision led to The Golden Orbit, the first successful stable light orbit created indoors, marking the genesis of structured lightcasting.
The Golden Orbit
Rather than relying on improvisational light painting, The Arcwright Project is built upon a foundation of structure and containment. It applies the principles of celestial mechanics to light movement, ensuring that every halo follows a calculated path, governed by precise engineering rather than chance. This approach distinguishes it from traditional light painting, transforming it into a formalized process of luminography, where light is structured and captured in motion through time.
Lightcasting & Luminography: Defining the Discipline
Two key terms emerged from my pursuit of structured light motion: lightcasting and luminography.
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Lightcasting is the engineered orchestration of light into structured motion, where movement, timing, and precision transform illumination into controlled geometric orbits. Unlike traditional light painting, which often embraces spontaneity, lightcasting is an exacting process—an intersection of art and engineering that ensures light moves with intent.
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Luminography is the captured imprint of engineered light orbits. It is not simply long-exposure photography but a structured visual record of controlled motion. Each luminograph preserves the kinetic geometry of light, providing a tangible representation of ephemeral halos in a lasting image.
Through lightcasting and luminography, I am developing a visual language where halos crown paintings, uniting the hand of the artist with geometric precision and celestial motion.
Nearlight Orbit over The Adagio Stand
The Tools: Engineering the Future of Light Motion
The Arcwright Project is built upon a series of specialized tools, each designed to advance structured orbital motion:
- The Trajector (ARC-01): The first attempt at structured light movement, it laid the groundwork for The Golden Orbit.
- The Arcangel (ARC-02): A ceiling-mounted rotational system designed for precision-controlled halos, responsible for The Arcwright Crown and Starcrown.
Each tool refines the process, pushing The Arcwright Project further into the realm of engineered light motion. From suspended halos to dynamically shifting orbital paths, these tools form the foundation of a continuously evolving discipline.
Beyond the Light: The Arcwright Project’s Philosophical Foundations
While deeply rooted in technical execution, The Arcwright Project is equally an exploration of artistic philosophy. It operates at the intersection of order and imperfection, control and chaos—mirroring the tension in my geometric paintings. In the same way my freehand paintings aspire to the precision of vector-based design while retaining the mark of the human hand, these halos contrast the natural imperfection of the artist with the absolute precision of engineered motion.
This project also honors and continues the tradition of the Byzantine and Renaissance masters, who used halos to evoke divinity and transcendence. Just as they adorned saints with radiant crowns of light, I engineer structured halos—carrying this legacy forward by merging tradition with contemporary technology and geometric order.
Starcrown over Starlight
Conclusion: The Future of The Arcwright Project
The Arcwright Project is more than a study in structured light—it is an ongoing pursuit of mastery. With each refined technique, new tool, and expanded execution, I am constructing a system that will redefine the boundaries of light as an artistic medium. Whether in the form of indoor halos or large-scale aerial luminographs, lightcasting is a step toward a future where engineered light motion stands as a discipline in its own right.
As this project continues to evolve, I look forward to expanding its applications, refining orbital phase structuring, and ultimately, exploring new frontiers in luminous motion. Through The Arcwright Project, I am not just painting with light—I am forging a new language of structured illumination.