On 13 and 14 March 2010 I had the privilege of participating in the official reopening of the Shunt vaults, an art and performance space in the labyrinthine maze of damp Victorian arches deep beneath London Bridge railway station.
Light painting is a photographic technique dating back to the 1930s. This long exposure method employs the direct manipulation of light sources to create spectral, dreamlike or even abstract images. Two pioneers of the technique were Man Ray, who created the first known light painting images in the 1930s, and Gjon Mili, who photographed Pablo Picasso using the technique in the 1940s.
These photos are from the workshops over the two nights. They include light performances and modelling from the fire and dance team, and also Shunt guests who wanted to drop in and participate. Note that every picture you see here is basically straight out of the camera. A couple had minor brightness adjustments, but that’s about it. No Photoshoppery involved.
Thanks to everyone who helped with the night, particularly Kat Chiswell Jones and my amazing partner Jennifer Savage. Special thanks to William Orbit, for his kind permission to use “Water from a Vine Leaf” for our fire show. My apologies for the video difficulties experienced during the workshops.
