Although the central object of Frentzel-Beyme's work - an embossed plastic sheet manufactured in East Germany during the days of the GDR - is interesting in and of itself, it's the vibrant colours and punchy light of the Freedom Par RGBAW+UV LED fixtures that endow this piece with a captivating holographic and illusory quality.
Frentzel-Beyme's light art consortium, Lumidium, is no stranger to using light to bring out the hidden aesthetic beauty of unique objects. In recent years, for example, Lumidium illuminated a wide range of objects, from a castle to a disused factory or an old power station. With the Deus luminogaster, however, it was the first time Frentzel-Beyme had used Chauvet fixtures.
"One of my partner companies to Lumidium, Light Control in Hamburg, offered the fixtures to me," said the artist. "I found them to have excellent vibrant colours right from the get go, and more importantly, I also found them extremely suitable for this particular project due to the fact that they can be operated with batteries, thus eliminating the need for unsightly cables."
"There are two essential elements to this light art installation," said Frentzel-Beyme. "The main object of the installation which becomes projected onto has something of a colourful history. I found the plastic sheet several years ago while exhibiting in Leipzig in East Germany, and it is an original East German GDR product. The essential element to bring the embossed object to life, however, is the lighting."
Projecting light onto the surface from a certain distance and a certain angle elevated from the wall, the Freedom Pars create an ever-changing pattern landscape. When switched on, the fixtures - placed above and below the object - are left in colour changing and provide a myriad of looks. The entire RGBAW+UV spectrum, a unique feature of this fixture, washes onto the embossed hexagonal surface to create a beautiful illusory feast for the eye.
(Jim Evans)
