Make It
How do light and shadow create atmosphere?
Introduction
Light is necessary for all living things. It can be generated from a variety of sources, both natural (the sun) and manufactured (lamps, candles, screens).
Shadows are the absence of light. But without any light we wouldn’t have shadows! Shadows are formed when light is intercepted by an object.
Light plays a big role in the making and experience of art and architecture. Of course, light allows us to see and perceive our surroundings, including the visual elements of an artwork or building. But artists can also take into consideration the way light and shadow interact with their artwork and use this understanding in the design of their art to create mood and ambience for their viewers.
Banswalhemant / CC BY-SA.
This intricate stone screen (jali) was used as a window or interior room divider in an architectural space in India during the 1700s. The cutout design allowed for light and air to circulate inside. It also screened those inside from the glare of the sun. Imagine the fascinating, ever-changing shadows created by sunlight (and moonlight) filtered through the open designs. The spotted red sandstone from the Delhi-Agra region of north-central India was used for architecture and sculpture for centuries, particularly by the Mughals, the dynasty that ruled much of India from the early 1500s to the mid-1800s.
Geometric principles and designs are ubiquitous in the architecture of the Mughals, who came to India from central Asia. The technique seen in this jali, in which the geometric designs are cut out of the stone, is called “perforated stone” or “latticed screen.” Openwork carving is considered a “subtractive” sculptural process, because the carver removes stone to create the design. When placed strategically within the interior or exterior of a space, the screens can create both a sense of privacy and access.
Try It!
Place a sheet of paper on a soft surface such as corrugated cardboard. Using a sharp pencil or scissors, poke or cut holes in the paper to create patterns and shapes that will allow light to shine through when the paper is hung in a window. Observe the way the holes make different shadow forms depending on the time of day!
In addition to teaching about light and shadows, take the opportunity to incorporate lessons about basic shapes and geometry. If you’re looking for a fun way to introduce these concepts to younger learners, you can check out Shapes, an educational game from ABCya, which helps children learn basic properties of simple geometric figures.
Time: 30 min. or up to 2 class periods
Materials: Paper, cardboard, pencil or scissors
Guiding Questions:
How can we make our own shadow shapes?What kinds of patterns and shapes can we make?
Do It!
Make your own screen. Identify three geometric shapes that can be easily cut out of construction paper with a hobby knife or scissors. Using only these three shapes, create patterns in an 8-inch square of construction paper. Group your students’ squares in a window that allows light to enter or hang them elsewhere in the room and shine light through them with something like a lamp or flashlight. How well do these screens allow light to pass through while still providing privacy?
After you have adorned your classroom windows with the paper cutouts, observe how they have altered your experience of light and shadow in the room. How does it feel to be in the room now compared to before? What changes do you notice?
Time: 1 to 3 class periods
Materials: Construction paper, hobby knife or scissors
Guiding Questions:
How do you experience light and shadow in a room?How can you design a screen that lets light shine through but also provides a sense of privacy?
Make It Yours!
Design Challenge
Build a decorative and functional screen inspired by the jali in Mia’s collection. Consider the way it interacts with light sources and air flow. Follow the design-thinking process below as outlined in this lesson, “What is the connection between design-thinking and art?”
Time: 3 or more class periods
Design-Thinking Process
- 1
Empathize: Begin the design process by learning about the jali in Mia’s collection to understand where they would have been used in a building and what purpose they would have served. Discuss the artist’s choice of material, why they might have chosen these shapes, and how the screens combined functionality, religious beliefs, and aesthetics. What kinds of activities and rituals might happen in these spaces? How does the design of the jali allow for light, air flow, and privacy? Consider the perspective of someone who inhabits or visits a space like this. What might it feel like to be in a room or building with screens like this incorporated into the architecture?
- 2
Connect: Identify specific places in your school where a decorative screen could be placed, such as a glass window in a classroom door. Adopt one such location and measure its dimensions. Given the location of the screen you will be creating, what design features will you incorporate to achieve functionality and privacy?
- 3
Ideate: Sketch three different ideas for your screen. For each sketch, choose a different combination of shapes and patterns that allows light and air to move through the screen. Share your three designs with a team of peers and provide insight into your creative thought process and aesthetic choices. Using feedback from your peers, select a final concept for the prototyping stage.
- 4
Prototype: Design, then cut.
Design:Use 3D modeling software such as Tinkercad to build a model of your screen. Tinkercad is a free, browser-based 3D modeling program that works on all operating systems and is especially good for students new to the process. Tinkercad offers tutorial “Starters” that introduce new designers to the software and process. This is the best place to start. Once students have completed the Starters, have them create a solid rectangle that matches the dimensions of their screen. Then, using the “hole” feature, cut shapes in the rectangle for light and air to pass through.
To cut or not to cut…
This tutorial from Instructables shows how to use Tinkercad for laser cutting. Laser cutters are expensive and can be difficult to operate. If you don’t have access to a laser cutter, complete the Test stage using the students’ 3D models. If laser cutting is an option, once the design is completed and exported as an SVG file, it is ready to be laser cut.
- 5
Test: Share the student designs. Hang them up in a window or shine a light (sunlight, flashlight, or lamp) through them at different angles to create different shadows. See how air flows through them naturally, or blow air through them with a fan. When sharing your work with your peers, discuss how you created it, and why. If you were to do this again, what would you do differently, and why? Solicit constructive feedback from peers; from their perspectives, what worked well, what made this idea compelling, and what could have been improved?