'Painting with Light' / Miranda Smith [Interview]
Miranda Smith paints with light. As a Narrm and Hong Kong based light artist, her practice traverses our city scapes.
Miranda Smith’s light installations form ephemeral compositions that interplay with the physicality of their surrounds and viewers. Her art is unique in every iteration, and to each viewing eye. In a time following the isolation of a pandemic, art which relies on physicality has an allure of rarity.
Verve got together with Miranda to have a chat about her upcoming projects in Narrm. We covered her exciting year ahead, the challenges of navigating the year that’s been, and the importance of accessibility to the arts.
Running through the end of April until May 13th, ‘In Silhouette’ is a light-based installation at Off the Kerb in Collingwood. Viewers will be enveloped into Smith’s installation, casting shadows which form a unique and individual experience of her art. This personalised focus is a defining characteristic of Smith’s art, and drives her developing practice.
“I really like the idea that as [viewers] move and interact with other people and bodies within the space, they create this very unique combination of colours and patterns. That their colourful shadows intersect and move together.”
‘In Silhouette’ will be Smith’s first solo show in Narrm. When asked about the process behind this exhibition, Smith doesn’t shy away from the challenges that came with 2020. While unable to return to Australia from Hong Kong, Smith faced the possibility of setting up an exhibition remotely.
“I wasn’t actually sure if I was going to be able to get back to Australia. It was six months of trying to get back, so while I was developing this idea I was also figuring out how I could install it from 7000 kilometres away.”
In creating very site-specific art works, the physicality of Smith’s work proves paramount. As we have stumbled into a semblance of normal here in Narrm, there is a feeling of delirious anticipation in viewing physical installations like Smith’s.
“I’d started making the works back in Hong Kong, so I started making the projects here and I was able to try out larger installations when I started uni and had access to those spaces, and I’ve just developed and refined the works since then. I’m really excited for people to come and experience it.”
‘Transient Luminescence’ is an upcoming installation at Assembly Point, Southbank. From May 4th until June 3rd, city goers will be treated with Smith’s art of a “gentle surprise”. Ten lights will be set up in vitrines along the Southbank walkway, each interacting with the environment’s natural shift in illumination.
“What I like about this project and with Melbourne’s temperamental weather, throughout the day you’re going to have different visibility of the lights. So I love the idea of someone walking past on their way to work in the morning, and there’s not really any art there, they can’t necessarily see it, and they leave on their way home and all of a sudden there’s this really saturated bright artwork smiling at them.”
The idea of lighting a city through art feels like a utopic development on the glowing city advertisement. I asked Smith about her relationship to place, and how this interplays with her practice.
“I think my love for light installation, my interest in reflective materials and translucent materials definitely came out of growing up in Hong Kong, and my obsession with city buildings and the city light. So I sort of feel like my artwork, like me, is constantly kind of torn between two places and two homes, and kind of has influences from both sides, which are both home. So I really like that, and I think it’s an aspect that’s always going to be there in my practice.”
Thrilled to be exhibiting her first public installation, Smith’s values shone through.
“The accessibility of art is something that’s really really important to me, and I think public installation is a way to ensure that everyone knows that art is for them.”
In hearing Smith’s excitement in her voice, it was sure that she made her art to be shared. To Smith, art is a gift, and the value of public art lies in its ability to reach everyone in unexpected, glowing ways.
“I’ve wanted to do public installation for years, so I’m really thrilled to be doing one. And I think particularly I like giving the gift of gentle surprise during someone’s everyday routine as well.”
To see Miranda Smith’s gift of light art, head to the opening of ‘In Silhouette’ at Off the Kerb, 6:00pm Friday April 30th. The exhibition is on until May 13th.
‘Transient Luminescence’ will be on display at Assembly Point, Southbank from May 4th until June 3rd.
Stay up to date with Miranda Smith on Instagram (@mirandasmithart)
Interview and words by Phoebe McKenzie (@phoebemckenzie)
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