Illuminated Tunnels as Metaphors for the Human Body

Abstract

This research in sculpture engages relations of light and the form and space of tunnels. The aim is to provoke audiences to think of their own bodies as the works suggest metaphors for physical fragility and transcendence. The research begining with an inquiry into how historical and contemporary sculptural practices incorporate space and light. A series of practical experiments were then conducted. These explored different materials and methods include the use of LED light, and perspectives created from periscopes and apertures. The resolution of these experiments was in sculptural installations that direct viewers’ vision through a pronounced exterior/interior divide, and suggest glimpses of human viscera, made from a variety of materials and employing controlled lighting. The insights gained from this research broadly address how our relationship to metaphors of the human body might be significantly explored by sculpture and installation, shaping metaphysical questions of bodily awareness and perception.