- Laura Hughes
- Laura Hughes' Passed Presence at the Portland Building
A few weeks back when I spoke with Jenene Nagy about her upcoming curatorial residence at Disjecta, I asked who she'd match up for a collaboration if she could chose any two local artists. Nagy replied, "Laura Hughes and Tahni Holt."
It just so happens that Hughes has a new show opening tonight at Appendix Space (located down the south alley between 26th and 27th avenues off of NE Alberta), and for those of you who haven't seen her work— or were curious as to why Nagy picked Hughes out of the vast array of local artists— it will be a great opportunity to see one of her site-specific installations in person.
But what do I mean when I say "site-specific installation"? Take Hughes' recent show at the Portland Building as an example: Using stationary lights and iridescent paint, Hughes created and replicated shadows cast from a handrail. The disorienting result— one shadow fanning across the wall horizontally, with others overlapping at competing angles— accounted for the many ways that light interacts with a room over the course of a day.
Tonight, Hughes will debut The Span of an Instant, continuing with her immersive style of installation. From the artist's statement:
This installation articulates and enhances fleeting instances of light in the Appendix Project Space through applications of phosphorescent and iridescent paint. It explores how light, space, time, and architectural form shape one another to produce the visible by amplifying the imprint of the peripheral to the forefront of our perception.
I emailed Hughes a few questions in order to clarify the above statement, and below are selections from our correspondence. Read on for some insight into what she'll be presenting tonight.