Bulbox 5.0

Artist Leo Villareal (American, born 1967)

Date2016

Dimensions12 3/4 × 12 3/4 × 3 7/8 in. (32.4 × 32.4 × 9.8 cm)

MediumLight emitting diodes, steel, electrical hardware, custom software

ClassificationTime-Based Media

Credit LineMuseum Art Fund

Object number

2018.14

Not on View

DescriptionThe cyclical fashion of the light and color in Bulbox 5.0 rotates through to display an endless movement of geometric color schemes. While on display, the work never displays the same set of colors. The colors morph into new motifs as the light permeates the space of the viewer, creating an embodied experience of color. Parameters like opacity, speed and scale are also manipulated through the artist's custom software, creating compositions that are displayed in random order and for a random amount of time. Ultimately, the visual manifestation of code in light is at the core of Villareal's interest.

Label TextThe light and color of Bulbox 5.0 cycles through to display an endless movement of geometric color schemes. While on display, the work never exhibits the same set of colors. Parameters like opacity, speed, and scale are also manipulated through artist Leo Villareal's custom software, creating compositions that are displayed in random order and for a random amount of time. This randomization introduces the element of chance to his work. Villareal explains of his artwork, “The essence of the piece is the code; colored light is the manifestation.” Though he trained as a sculptor, Villareal’s interest in the combination of light and software came about when he attended the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. To help him and his friends find their way back to their RV, he designed a 16-strobe light beacon affixed to the vehicle’s roof. He has worked with light ever since. His works combine computer coding, lighting technology, mathematical systems, and the influence of light and space sculptors like Dan Flavin and James Turrell. Bulbox 5.0 also resonates with the color theory paintings of artist Josef Albers (see Homage to the Square: White Setting nearby).