Artificial light as a visual and aesthetic element in 20th century sculpture

Light, which is the primary necessity of seeing, has been an indispensable element for artistic productions and has taken place in different forms in art works throughout the historical process. The subject of light in sculpture was also explored by Renaissance artists. The most radical change in light took place with Rodin's interventions on the surface of the sculpture. The formal structure of the sculpture began to change in the 20th century and it gained a lightened appearance with the use of plastic-based transparent and translucent materials. With the technological transformation, new horizons have opened up in the field of art and the possibility of artificial light to be a new material and language in sculpture has emerged. In this context, the use of artificial light has been researched and alternative approaches have been developed in various art movements. In this study, the formal and visual effects arising from the use of artificial light in sculpture were examined, and how the formal elements assumed to be in the material structure of the sculpture were created with artificial light and the level of the use of artificial light in today's art was investigated. Keywords: Light, Sculpture, Light and space movement, Art