Light show

Light has the power to transform our vision, alter our spatial perceptions and even change our moods.

As an artistic 'medium', it is explored in full in this beautifully produced book. 'Light Show', published on the occasion of a major exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, London, will include some of the most visually stimulating and compelling artworks created using light since the 1960s, as well as new artworks by contemporary artists commissioned specially for the show.

Featuring over 20 artists, Light Show takes as its starting point the sculptural use of light as a way of altering our perception of space in contemporary art.

Individual artworks featured here explore aesthetic qualities such as colour, duration, black light, shadows, natural and artificial light, and projection, most in immersive, experiential environments.

The use of light as a means of expressing more socially or politically-driven concerns is also addressed, as are the inroads made by cutting-edge technology in contemporary light installation; LEDs, bespoke bulbs and computer-controlled lighting all make an appearance in these works. An essential record of the first major survey exhibition of its kind in the UK, this rigorous, authoritative guide to light as art is an essential addition to the literature of sculpture and installation.

Artists in Light Show will include Dan Flavin, James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson, David Batchelor, Conrad Shawcross and others to be announced.