Light Pour

RESEARCH BACKGROUND Light Pour was created in response to an invitation from the National Design Centre Melbourne to respond to the saying: "It never rains, it pours" and exhibited as one of three floating palaces on the Yarra River, curated by Kathy Demos for the 2007 State of Design Festival, Melbourne. The installation explored innovative ways of utilising optical fibre beyond conventional commercial applications. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION Typically optical fibre is used to carry information, its use as a design material is less explored territory. Experimenting with the material and its ability to emit light, by crimping the fibres a cascade of light was created. Made from 30,000 baking cups hand-glued into the shape of a large rain cloud from which 130 optical fibres were hung, when illuminated, 'Light Pour' resembled a rainstorm of light floating inside a glass palace on the river; its watery reflection made the rain appear to come from the river, as if the viewer was floating on the sky. The illusionary effect created an unexpected experience of the natural world, offering a different perspective on the small seemingly insignificant things in our everyday lives. The use of paper baking cups in this installation offered a new dimension on the use of the mundane and insignificant materials in design. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE Light Pour was a larger-scale companion piece to Some Kind of Wonderful. It has been featured in the international design journal On Site Review (Canada) in 2009.