VISION | Lighting Design | Shannon Dougherty

Damien's journey is an awakening. He transcends the membranes of this gritty, realistic world to see the face of God and in the process finds himself and his own empowerment. The experience of Damien's sojourn crosses into three distinct realms: the church, the secular and the spiritual; which are created by different experiences in the production and quality of light. These realms coexist, although Damien is the primary character who permeates all three.

The most literal, grounded and realistic realm is the church. Lit by architectural sources to find a nontraditional quality of light, the experience of the church is harsh and shadowless. This is primarily created by the pallid chill of large flourescent fixtures, which will be familiar to everyone who has worked in a cubicle...or been to the DMV.

The secular realm shares a reality with the church, but is heightened. Conventional theatrical instruments layered upon the architectural sources suggest a directional, forceful quality of light. Damien's own experience in this space is more personal and passionate than realistic. Moving away from the church realm, the atmosphere is increasingly dictated by Damien's perception of his surroundings as opposed to the factual reality of the environment.

Damien's transition into the spiritual realm is drawn from his own conception of peace and wisdom. Imagined as though he were experiencing a perfect afternoon on his grandmothers porch, angle and color of light were chosen to evoke the late afternoon sun through thick, southern air. It presses beyond that reality, however. Damien's experience is fractured, and that space is within a black void. The color is more saturated and the light doesn't carry on to the horizon. The luminence follows god and is limited to the patch of this void she inhabits.

The connective tissue for all the realms is dance. It is a thread that connects the various spaces and carries Damien through the piece. Blurring the lines between realms, the light carries qualities of each distinct world. Practical fixtures mirror the lighting of the church, but in a way that echos the angles and intention of the spiritual world.

Shannon Dougherty