Our mission here at Relative Lighting is to bring your vision to light. Your vision is the start of the process and we are here to show you what is possible from a functional and artistic point of view. For our new collaboration series, we are partnering with thought leaders, artists and designers to demonstrate the relationship between light and humanity. Read on to discover more.
Lighting has the power to evoke a mood, change perspectives and shape our surroundings. It’s the centerpiece to a feeling and the facilitator between dark and light moments. While it operates as a functional element in our lives, it also serves as a symbol of relatedness and vitality. To embody this concept, Relative Lighting teamed up with professional dancer and UMKC professor Caroline Dahm to create a story of connection through movement, centered around the Ophelian Pendant by Kelly Wearstler.
Dahm explained how the collaboration with Relative Lighting highlighted the natural process of human connection. “In the two pieces, both are centered around light and both are centered around human interaction. As humans, that connection, that spark we have with one another, creates life and creates light within our world.”
The Ophelian Pendant serves as a symbol of feminine and masculine energy. The contrasted materials of metal and alabaster demonstrate that two completely different elements can exist together, albeit, beautifully. A delicate balance of the modern and natural world, the Ophelian Pendant is a paradox. Modeled throughout the dancers’ movement and reflected back into the fixture, life imitates art.
When coming up with the choreography and intention behind the duet, Dahm went with her instincts. “The creative process around the duet with my partner Tristian and I was one that felt very natural to us. We pulled from our own personal relationship and connection; one of trust, a soft fire and the light we bring out in each other,” said Dahm. “We have always said, when we dance together it feels electric.”
Connection is the cornerstone of the human experience, and it is through connection that we create energy. Energy that sustains life, enhances our mood and informs our well-being. Lighting is the conduit for interrelation in the world of design and serves as a bridge between an idea and an outcome. Through our lighting choices, and the choices we make in our personal lives, can we then create our own stories of connection as it pertains to the energy we desire in this world.