Poetic Light, a light and video installation located in a storefront within Grand Central Terminal, explored the possibility of creating a momentary pause for art within an hectic urban landscape. It was an attempt to make the path of the New York City commuter a bit more vital.The installation addressed the inherent contradiction of encountering poetry, which by its very nature is an intimate experience, in a 45 foot long glass enclosed public space within Grand Central Terminal.
The installation was composed of poetic verse moving through an environment of multicolored planes of light. It was meant to be viewed up close as well as at a distance. At the urban scale the pedestrian saw a veiled light box with four colored illuminated planes strategically located at skewed angles mimicking the travel patterns of the commuters. The planes were located behind the predominantly obscured translucent surface of the existing glass walls which surrounded the space. The illuminated poetry became, in effect, a glowing light beacon. Up close, the pedestrian saw a video loop of poetry embedded within colored translucent panels organized in a linear fashion like the written word, which moved quite slowly, creating a moment of intimacy within this highly charged urban space.
